In brief: Jersey cricket demolished Papua New Guinea by 172 runs in the ICC Challenge League A tournament in Nairobi, posting 347 for 5 before bowling PNG out for 175. Zak Tribe smashed 150 from 129 deliveries, Jonty Jenner blazed a 23-ball 72, and Ben Ward took a five-wicket haul to seal a commanding win.
A Mammoth Total Built on Tribe and Lawrenson
Captain Charles “Chuggy” Perchard won the toss and chose to bat at Nairobi Gymkhana, a decision that looked inspired from the first over. Harrison Carlyon and Josh Lawrenson made a bright start on a slow surface before Carlyon was smartly caught at second slip for a run-a-ball 18, the Jersey Evening Post reports.
Asa Tribe came in and initially looked patient, three boundaries in a single over suggesting he was ready to accelerate, before Aue Oru forced a chop-on to dismiss him for 23. Remove one Tribe, however, and the other will get you. Zak Tribe settled quickly alongside Lawrenson, the pair rotating the strike impressively in the Kenyan heat. Both passed fifty before Tribe began to turn up the temperature, using the depth of the crease to good effect against the slow turning wicket.
Tribe launched a towering six off the back foot to bring up his second List A century from just 105 balls, eventually finishing on 150 from 129 deliveries, becoming the second member of this Jersey squad to reach that landmark at List A level. Lawrenson departed in the 42nd over for a vital 72, ending a third-wicket stand of 165 that had laid the foundations for a huge finish.
Jenner’s Outrageous Assault and a Mammoth Total
With eight overs remaining, Jonty Jenner arrived and proceeded to rewrite the scorecard in spectacular fashion. Nine sixes flew from his bat in a 23-ball 72, including a 17-ball half-century that fell just one delivery short of the List A international record. His wrists did most of the talking, peppering the leg-side boundary before producing arguably the shot of the innings, a tumbling reverse sweep for six off John Kariko. Three consecutive sixes off Alei Nao followed in the penultimate over before Jenner was finally caught off a leading edge chasing yet another maximum.
His fourth-wicket partnership with Tribe had yielded an eye-watering 112 runs in just 6.4 overs. Jersey closed on 347 for 5, a total that was always going to test PNG severely.
Ward’s Magic Seals the Win
Perchard opened the bowling with Carlyon’s off-spin, and the skipper struck in the opening over, Doko Rupa top-edging a slog sweep to Perchard at fine leg for a duck. George Richardson then removed dangerman Sese Bau for 22 before Ben Ward took centre stage.
Ward bamboozled PNG with a devastating five-wicket haul, first bowling Patrick Nou with a perfect googly before trapping Lega Siaka lbw for 39. From 76 for 3, PNG collapsed to 94 for 7, losing four wickets for just 18 runs as Ward ripped through the middle order. Perchard chipped in with two wickets in a traditionally economical spell. Alei Nao (32) and Kabua Morea (40) spared PNG further embarrassment, lifting them from 101 for 8 to 175 all out, before Lawrenson claimed the final wicket. Jersey won by 172 runs.
Jersey remain firmly atop the group and face Kenya next on Sunday, with a 7.30am Jersey time start.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
