JERSEY Academicals ended a 28-year trophy-drought by winning the SE Guy Memorial Trophy final last night.
At the FB Fields, the Accies, formed in 1976, defeated cup-holders St Helier RFC by 19 runs to lift their first piece of silverware in the Club’s history.
Averaging eight runs an over the Accies posted a 12-over total of 100, for two wickets, with Island batsman Chris Jones carrying his bat for 43 runs.
The sodden outfield was slow with Jones hitting two of the three boundaries scored in the Accies’ innings.
Just six 4s were scored in the match.
Former Saints player Gareth Bayley (23) supported Jones in a second-wicket partnership of 36 before Derek de la Haye (15) and Jones took the Accies to 100 with a partnership of 51.
St Helier lost Lee Kent early in their reply and with runs hard to come by they eventually closed on 81 for 6 - opener Richard Gomersall top-scoring with 27 before being run out.
The bowling all round was tight from both sides.
Accies’ Peter Glennon won the man-of-the-match award following a three-over spell of two wickets for 18 runs.
Accies’ captain Steve Dewhurst said: ‘It was a strange match, it was a bowlers game as it was windy, the wicket was damp and runs were hard to get.
Proof of that is Island player Chris Jones scratching around for 43 runs in 12 overs.
‘All the bowlers did well, nobody got a hiding.
It was a good game played very much in the Corinthian spirit.
I’m delighted we won for long-serving players like Peter Travers and Derek de la Haye; but I’m equally disappointed that another, Andy Gibbs, missed out because of injury.
‘Chris Jones was in the running for the man-of-the-match award after 43 runs and one wicket for 15 runs but Peter Glennon’s 2 for 18 at the age of 61 was simply fantastic.’ St Helier captain Mick Poulter said: ‘We did as well as could have been expected with so many players missing.
We bowled and fielded really well and if we could have had one more of our batsmen to have scored 20 runs we could well be celebrating today.
‘We were disappointed to lose but the season is not over and we’ve set our sights now on winning the Division II title.’
Article posted on 9th July, 2004 - 12.00am
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