Cricket: Last round of matches to decide who meets Cobo in CI final

Wednesday 21 August 2024

ATF St Ouen Springfield have taken a big leap towards the Belasko CI League final with victory over Farmers Caesareans.

With the three Guernsey sides having completed all their fixtures, Norman Piette Cobo have already booked their place in the final with a 100% record, but Canaccord Genuity Griffins can only sit and wait for this weekend’s clashes across the water to conclude to find out if they can cling on to the other spot.

If SOS beat RGA Walkovers, who have yet to win a game, they will leapfrog them.

On Saturday, Farmers Field provided the stage on which SOS put themselves in position for that finals push.

On a traditionally excellent ground for batting, the hosts batted first, but their innings got off to the worst of starts. 

Young wicket-keeper Jack Kemp was clean bowled with the second ball of the match by Adam Hayward.

Farmers ended their 45 overs on 192 for eight wickets. 

The SOS reply started well, with the experienced international pairing of Harrison Carlyon and Patrick Gouge taking the visitors to a steady 42 for no loss after 10 overs. The partnership was broken however, when Carlyon was well caught by Stan Norman off the bowling of Toby Britton for 19.

Jon Best joined Gouge at the crease and an excellent partnership of 101 followed, with both men raising their bat for fifty.

In the end, wicketkeeper Tyler Burton hit the winning runs earning his side a crucial two points. 

SOS now move up to third in the league on six points, one behind Griffins.

At the other end of the table, RGA Walkovers and Rathbones Old Victorians clashed at Grainville. 

OVs skipper James Duckett won the toss and, on a tired wicket, elected to bat first. 

The boys in yellow were reeling at 9/3 but went on to post a more than decent score of 181 all out, a remarkable effort from the lower order to dig them out of trouble.

The game ended in a 28 run win for the OVs.

OVs travel to Farmers for their season finale.