Centurion Highlights for Jersey Cricket Tour
The annual U14/U13 cricket tour to Jersey proved yet again to be a great success in the continuing development of our young cricketers. The dominance of bat over ball proved the key feature in all our matches played and this in itself was very satisfying, as on previous tours our sides had frequently succumbed to the stronger Jersey Island bowling.
This year not so – we batted consistently, coping with, if not always dominating, the opposition bowling. Their concentration and maturity enabled our batsmen to build an innings appropriate to conditions and state of play in the match, keeping us in contention at all times. They adapted well this year to the longer - and quirky ‘split-overs’ – format of the game, which allowed individuals more time at the crease and properly tested their powers of concentration and mental endurance.
It was therefore very gratifying to watch two of our boys bat their way to centuries.
For the U13s, Jack Tyrer posted 117 not out, sharing in an opening stand of 131 with Ben Stratford (37) to set up a comfortable 161 run victory in their first match against De La Salle.
For the U14s, Henry Day’s 118. Batting in a third wicket stand of 195 runs with Harry Schofield (62 not out), and requiring almost 11 an over when they came together at 41-2, the two chased down Victoria College’s 237 in an exciting finale that left both scores level when the umpires called time and drew stumps.
And just to prove that the bat did not always totally dominate the ball, Sam North’s devastating spell of 3 overs, 1 maiden, 5 wickets for 9 runs ripped the top off the De La Salle batting card in the U13’s opening fixture.
The U14s carried the excitement into their second game with another close finish. On a turning wicket they restrained De La Salle to 133 for 6 but struggled themselves as the ball continued to turn sharply and it again fell to Henry Day (69 not out) ably supported by the dogged resistance of Chris Bell (5 not out) in a last wicket stand to steer us home with just one ball to spare.
In their second game the U13s took on a very strong Victoria side who won the toss and made the most of the warm conditions and excellent batting surface. They declared on 257 for 9 – setting a big challenge of more than 7 runs per over. The young Richians of the U13s however showed their character, making a spirited reply to close at 207 for 6, which might have been a lot closer if it wasn’t for a silly run out and a couple of excellent boundary catches.
In the third round of matches against Jersey Island XIs, both U13s & U14s bowled and fielded well to restrict their counterparts to modest totals, but just couldn’t work away the equally tight bowling and penetrate the excellent fielding of their hosts to overhaul their respective targets, falling short by 9 runs and 23 runs respectively.
Yet again the Jersey Cricket Development Tour proved to be a great experience for all those in both of the squads and it has really advanced not only the boys’ individual cricketing skills but also (and perhaps more importantly at this stage) their whole approach to and understanding of the game. It has certainly engendered a fantastic team spirit and strength of character within the U13 side and we look to their future successes with great anticipation.
Finally a couple of special thanks must go to Mr Doug Ferguson of the Jersey Island Cricket Association who is our main contact and organiser of fixtures and practice facilities; also to Mr & Mrs Anderson, who welcomed us back to their comfortable and friendly hotel, The Mornington, and looked after us so royally.
Match Summaries
U14 - Played 3, Won 1, Tied 1, Lost 1
Victoria College - Tied
Victoria College 237 for 5 (37 overs)
STRS 237 for 4 (33 overs) - Henry Day 118, Harry Schofield 62no
De La Salle - won by 1 wkt
De La Salle 133 for 6 (30 overs)
STRS 134 for 9 (29.5 overs) - Henry Day 69no
Jersey Island U14 XI - lost by 23 runs
Jersey Island XI 160 for 8 (30 overs) - Harry Schofield 4-32
STRS 137 for 7 (30 overs) - James Foylan 37, Benji Grew 33, Henry Day 27no
Top wicket takers were ...
Chris Bell | 18-3-59-4 |
Harry Schofield | 13-0-72-4 |
James Foylan | 14-0-80-4 |
Benji Grew | 16-0-84-3 |
Henry Day | 214 |
Harry Schofield | 69 |
James Foylan | 64 |
Benji Grew | 54 |
Benji Grew | 2 |
Rory Payne | 2 |
Callum Dean | 1 |
Hassaan Mehmood | 1 |
William Rouse | 1 |
Chris Bell | 1 |
Top wicket takers were ...Jack Tyrer | 150 |
Toby Hiram | 68 |
Jacob Hayward | 45 |
Peter Carter | 42 |
James Field | 42 |
Ben Stratford | 37 |
Harvey Ryder | 3 |
Alex Roper | 1 |
James Field | 1 |
Sam Rideout | 1 |
Jack Tyrer | 1 |
Peter Carter | 1 (Stumping) |