THE Jersey Cricket Association Select XI comfortably defeated visitors Gore Court by 66 runs at Grainville yesterday.
The Kent League visitors, on a three-match tour to the Island with other matches both against the JICC, were not as strong as Jersey manager David Gorman expected but nevertheless it turned out to be a good win.
Gorman said: ‘Obviously it’s positive to win a game and there were lots of pleasing performances.
I would like to have seen our team challenged a lot more just to see how the younger players would have reacted to a bit of pressure.
‘We put in a very good performance, we batted, bowled and fielded well.
The youth in the side showed their quality in fielding and it was exciting to watch at times.
‘Gore Court did have an excellent cricketer in Piet Botha, he scored an excellent century and bowled very well.
Last season he scored 1,100 runs in the Kent League and took 50 wickets with his off-spin.
It’s just a shame they didn’t have a couple more players of his talent to see how our team would have stood up to them.’ Jersey bowlers were all in good form, Tony Carlyon came on late to take his third five-wicket haul in just over a week.
Richard Antony chipped in with three late wickets while openers Paul Horton and Peter Blackburn both boowled tidily and economically, but without success.
Skipper Meeku Patidar gave JICC first use of the wicket and openers Peter Gough and Steve Carlyon put on 53 runs before Gough played too soon and was caught at mid-wicket.
Ben Silva and Carlyon having added a further 69 were just beginning to step up the pace when Silva (36) was run out by a direct hit from mid-in.
Carlyon (ten 4s and three 6s in just over two hours) seemed well set for a very big score when on 77 he too was caught this time at deep long off, the first of two wickets for Lee Johnson.
Patidar (31) and Tony Carlyon (48 not out) upped the tempo adding a further 61 and JICC were able to finish on 228 for 4 from their 45 overs.
Gore Court’s reply got under way after tea and in 24 overs and 80 minutes Botha and Brian Alexander had added 65 together before Alexander (10) was smartly stumped by Simon Short off the bowling of Andy Dewhurst.
This was then followed up with a second stumping this time off Tony Carlyon to dismiss Chris Gaze after he and Botha had added a further 60 together.
Botha was by now batting quite beautifully, following on from nine very impressive overs of off-spin.
Apart from Rob Dixon (12) no other other batsman reached double figures.
Both reaching his century hitting 13 fours and three enormous sixes and his dismissal swung the game the Select’s way conclusively when the score was 152 for 5.
Carlyon and Anthony took the match to it’s conclusion with Gore Court finishing on 162 for 9.
Gore Court play JICC today and on Thursday with Eastbourne College the visitors tomorrow afternoon.
All matches are at Grainville starting at 1.30 pm.
Article posted on 6th July, 2004 - 12.00am
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