ICC Europe/CricketEurope

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Ireland and Scotland opened their Under 19 Division 1 campaigns with wins over The Netherlands and hosts Jersey respectively when the tournament began on Monday, but the outstanding result of the day was Denmark’s desperately close two-wicket victory over Guernsey.

The Danes appeared to be down and out at Grainville when they were on 88 for seven chasing a modest Guernsey total of 143, but they were rescued by a fine captain’s innings from Sair Ahmed Anjum, supported first by the injured Lars Flemming Boldt – who had earlier retired hurt after being struck on the hip – and then by Mohsin Ali.

Anjum finished on 33 not out, made off 31 balls with three fours and a six, as Denmark made it home with seven overs to spare.

Earlier, Guernsey seamer Andy Hutchinson had reduced them to 27 for three, and then David hooper picked up two wickets and Max Ellis, Ben McVey and Tom Kirk one each to seemingly doom Denmark to defeat.

This was after Guernsey had themselves collapsed from 87 for three to 143 all out, with Ihyas Sawmy taking three for 22 and Suleman Arshad two for 20.

Top scorer for the islanders was skipper Jon Clark with 34, while opener Will Thompson made 26 and wicketkeeper Tom Kimber 23.

At FB Fields, The Netherlands got away to a blazing start after being put in by Ireland, openers Alexei Kervezee and Stijn Allema racing to 86 off just twelve overs before Kervezee, who had dominated the partnership with a 51-ball innings of 62 including nine fours and a six, was deceived by a slower ball from Eddie Richardson and spooned a catch to mid-on.

Allema followed in the next over, and although Floris Kingma and Tim Gruijters added a patient 40 for the third wicket, the momentum had gone from the Dutch innings, and the Irish bowlers never eased their grip.

Captain Andrew Balbirnie contributed a fine spell of off-spin, taking two for 32 in his ten overs, and it was he who removed Kingma in his final over.

Then Shane Getkate, who had been hammered for 26 in his first three overs, came back and ran through the middle order, taking four for 13 in six overs to finish with four for 39. So complete was the Dutch rout that the last seven batsmen contributed just 8 runs between them.

The exception was Gruijters, who stood firm throughout and ended with a fighting not-out 47.

The Dutch total of 169 never seemed likely to trouble Ireland, although they were given a little hope when Balbirnie was caught behind by Allema off Ferdi Vink with the total on 10.

His partner Stuart Thompson was in fine form, however, and he shared stands of 47 with Paul Stirling and 65 with James Shannon. Thompson eventually succumbed, first to cramp and then to leg-spinner Lucas Brouwers, but not before he had made an splendid 65 from 80 deliveries with eight boundaries.

Then Shannon continued with Ben Ackland, adding 48 in an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership which saw the Irish through to their target with more than twelve overs to spare. Shannon finished on 46 not out, from 81 balls with four fours.

The Dutch bowlers stuck to their task well, especially Olivier Klaus with one for 29 from eight overs and Paul van Meekeren with none for 21 from seven. But the batsmen had given them too little to play with, and Ireland were never in any hint of trouble.

Scotland made the highest total of the day, their 217 at Farmers Field largely due to a sixth-wicket partnership of 74 between opener Fraser Coleman and captain Calvin Burnett. Coleman, who initially put on 52 with Oliver Hairs (26), was eventually seventh out for 84, made from 113 deliveries with eight fours and a six, while Burnett contributed a 46-ball 43.

These were the only three Scottish batsmen to achieve double figures as Anthony Kay (three for 28), Steven Blackburn (two for 48), Charles Perchard (two for 39) and Ben Stevens (two for 52) worked their way through the order.

Jersey seemed to be in some trouble at 63 for four in reply, but Stevens and Kay led an impressive fightback with a fifth-wicket stand of 56, and after Stevens was stumped off Michael Leask’s bowling for a well-made 48, the lower order continued to give Kay good support.

The asking rate gradually crept up towards ten an over, however, and the demand proved too great in the end. Kay was bowled by Matthew Parker for 60, made from 88 deliveries, off the final ball of the penultimate over, and Jersey ended on 199 for eight, Scotland running out winners by 18 runs.