Top three secure wins in European U19s qualifier

Rain took a hand in the European Under-19 Division 1 championship in Jersey on Saturday, with all three matches subject to prolonged delays and Duckworth/Lewis-adjusted targets.

But it was a tribute to the good sense of the umpires and the positive approach of the teams that all three games ended with results, avoiding any of them having to be replayed on Monday's reserve day.

First to finish was the game at Victoria College, where Scotland beat Guernsey and the elements to record an emphatic ten wicket win. Chasing a Duckworth/Lewis adjusted target of 101 in 30 overs, Scotland made sure of the points, racing to victory in just 12 overs.

Once again it was the opening pairing of Ollie Hairs and Freddie Coleman who were among the runs, scoring quickly and heavily all round the wicket.

They both benefited from several lives each, as the Guernsey fielders spilled straight forward opportunities early on. That said however, they played some quite scintillating pulls, drives and cuts, hitting 11 fours and two sixes between them.

For once Hairs had to contend with playing second fiddle to his opening partner. Coleman's unbeaten 56 came from 46 deliveries, and included 8 fours and one six, while Hairs 38 not out was from 26 balls - 3 fours and 1 six.

The Dutch opening pair has been even more dominant than the Scots, and Alexei Kervezee and Stijn Allema were merciless in their onslaught on the Danish bowlers at Grainville.

In a rain-interrupted innings Kervezee's not-out 100 came from 91 balls with 11 fours and two sixes, Allema's 50 from 80 deliveries with six boundaries.

Steady rain and a sodden square delayed the resumption until after 6 o'clock, with Denmark set a target of 209 from 25 overs.

Hamid Shah and Lars Boldt took the game to the Dutch bowlers, and despite a series of interruptions, one of which changed the target to 195 from 23 overs and then to 178 from 21, they added 80 for the second wicket in less than 12 overs.

The pressure told in the end, however, and when both of them were run out in consecutive overs the Danish challenge began to fall apart.

There were somewhat farcical scenes towards the end as the Dutch fielders, desperately anxious to beat the weather and get through at least 20 overs,declined catches and refused run-outs rather than lose the time involved in a change of batsmen. This apparently perverse policy paid off, as they managed to get the overs in despite the waves of rain which periodically swept across the ground.

At Les Quennevais, Ireland again got off to a shaky start after being put in to bat by Jersey, losing two wickets in the first nine overs for just 25 runs.

But Andrew Balbirnie and James Shannon added 43 for the third wicket, and after the latter's departure for 16 Balbirnie went on to reach another fine half-century. He was on 52, made off 87 balls with five boundaries, and the Irish total on 89 for four when the rain set in.

As elsewhere, a long break brought an end to Ireland's innings, and a Duckworth/Lewis calculation set Jersey a target of 119 to win from 30 overs. After a couple of early setbacks at the hands of Craig Young, Sam de la Haye and Tom Gibbs brought their side into an apparently strong position at 52 for two in the 16th over.

Spinners Lee Nelson and Balbirnie then turned the game, however, as Jersey lost eight wickets in as many overs and slumped to 75 all out. Balbirnie took three for 15 and Nelson three for 18 as the Irish maintained their unbeaten record in decisive fashion.

The official website for this event is available at: http://www.icc-europe.org/EUROU19/index.shtml