WITH all to play for in the Belasko Channel Island League, eyes are drawn to St Martin tomorrow, as Farmers Caesareans welcome ATF St Ouen Springfield (SOS).
As Guernsey’s Norman Piette Cobo have gone undefeated in six matches, with five wins and one washout, it is up to the Jersey sides to ensure they have at least one representative in this year’s final.
In 2023, it was Canaccord Genuity Griffins who trounced Norman Piette Cobo at Grainville in an all-Sarnian final, but the league leaders have proved imperious this campaign, aiming to make amends for defeat at the final hurdle last time around.
However, the defending champions have only mustered three wins from six, with one washout, and thus the door is ajar for both Farmers and St Ouen to stake their claim on the penultimate weekend of group fixtures, with two games in hand on the Guernsey outfits.
Farmers have stolen a march, leading SOS by a point after the westerners were defeated by OVs last week, while Farmers ran riot against RGA Walkovers, drastically increasing their net run-rate in the process.
Tomorrow’s contest is set to be highly competitive though, as skipper Harrison Carlyon returns for SOS, along with spinner Elliot Miles, who leads the bowling chart in the Headway Handicap League.
Adam Hayward is also named after missing last week, offering depth with both bat and ball and Jersey’s Dom Blampied starts again after captaining the side last week in Carlyon’s absence.
Farmers will be keen to retain momentum from last week, after Josh Lawrenson (153) and Will Perchard (90) amassed a remarkable 200 partnership between them.
James Perchard resumes captaincy duties after missing the Walkovers game, but the side have lost Joel Dudley long-term, after the batsman was taken away from Grainville in an ambulance with an Achilles injury.
Over at Grainville, Joe Bevis and his Walkovers side will be itching to right the wrongs from last time out.
They are a side on the up season after season and have already shown that their bowling attack can be lethal at times.
What they have struggled with is scoring runs, but powerful South African Tiaan Kruger’s knock of 66 against Farmers shows there is potential if a willing partner at the crease is found.
Old Victorians have endured a similarly frustrating CI League campaign, finally picking up their first win at St Ouen last week, following two defeats and a washout.
Captain James Duckett led his team in both batting and bowling last week, scoring 63, while taking four wickets from his nine-over spell, conceding just 24 runs in the process.
He will have to make do without top-order batter Jamie Watling, who managed 38 in last week’s win, proving an able partner to Duckett.
Where Watling vacates, Charlie Brennan returns.
The powerful left-hander offers an important option at the top of the order as will the returning wicket-keeper batter Elliot Corbel.
While both OVs and Walkovers are resigned to not reaching the CI League final, these fixtures also have implications on the Jersey standings, thus much is on the line for all four Premiership teams involved tomorrow.
