Two Guernsey clubs reach CI Club Championship final

The 2009 NatWest Channel Islands Club Championship Final next Saturday (20th) will be between Guernsey champions Total Cobo, unbeaten all season, and Guernsey runners-up PKF Wanderers, who both won their semi-finals this weekend.

At Guernsey's KGV, Wanderers bowled and fielded superbly to dismiss Jersey's St Ouen for just 98 in 42 overs, of which 15 overs were maidens. Star of the show was Aussie left-arm seamer Ben Taylor, who ripped the heart out of the St Ouen top order, including dangerman skipper Dean Morrison, to return superb figures of 9 overs, 5 maidens, 3 wickets for 7 runs.

Taylor was very well supported by fellow seamers Pierre Moody (1 for 24 off 9 overs), Mike Savage (1 for 11 from 8 overs, five of which were maidens) and James Warr (2 for 28 from 8 overs). Top scorer for St Ouen was Richard Gomersall with 27.

St Ouen fought back well though with three quick wickets and Wanderers were reeling at 7 for 3. However the in-form Ross Kneller got stuck in and a vital partnership of 45 with Matt Thornton (15) took Wanderers virtually to their target before the loss of two late wickets to win by three wickets with nearly 14 overs to spare.

Kneller made a fine unbeaten 56 to take his average to more than 160 from three innings in the competition to date. There were impressive bowling performances for St Ouen from seamers Hugo Bishop (3 for 29) and Anthony Kay but with such a low target to defend their task was not a small one.

Meanwhile, over in Jersey Cobo and Sporting Club Francais had to contend with a delayed start and shortened game due to a very heavy morning shower. A minimum 20-over game got under way at 2.30 pm with Cobo batting first and making 135 for 9 of which Peter Vidamour made 42.

SCF made a good start in their reply with 43 for 1 off the first 5 overs, but Cobo tightened things up after the end of the initial fielding restrictions and the asking rate was soon mounting. Frith then remarkably bowled a four-wicket maiden in the penultimate over to end with 5 for 20 as SCF fell 19 runs short on 116 for 9.