ICC Europe/CricketEurope

---

The three leading sides in the European Under 19 Division 1 championships all reinforced their positions with convincing wins over their lower-placed opponents on Thursday, with Ireland’s massive 232-run victory over Guernsey and a second consecutive century for Alexei Kervezee the outstanding highlights.

Kervezee’s 155 for The Netherlands against Jersey, following on from his not-out 137 against Scotland on Wednesday, equalled the feat of Ireland’s Paul Stirling, who hit 118 and 115 not out against Denmark in a two-innings match at the 2006 tournament.

The Worcestershire opener was again involved in a big first-wicket stand with Stijn Allema: the Dutch pair put on 129 before Allema was bowled by Ben Stevens for 32, and this formed the basis of a total of 296 for nine.

Kervezee went on until he was sixth out with the score on 255, his 155 coming from 137 deliveries with 14 fours and two sixes. The rest of the Dutch batting gave support without making much of an impression, although Philip van den Brandeler made 20 and Sebastiaan Braat weighed in towards the end with 21.

Steven Blackburn was the most successful of the Jersey bowlers with three for 49.

Jersey were soon in trouble at 27 for four in reply, Olivier Klaus and Paul van Meekeren picking up two wickets each, but then a fifth-wicket stand of 66 between Stevens (24) and skipper Anthony Kay (54) helped to restore their fortunes somewhat.

Once they were out, however, the innings again subsided, and despite an interruption for a heavy shower The Netherlands were able to dismiss their hosts for 150 in 42.2 overs, Van Meekeren returning to claim two more wickets and finish with four for 31. Klaus had three for 25, and Tim Gruijters two for 19.

Ireland remain firmly on course to win the competition following a comprehensive 232-run win over Guernsey at Farmer’s Field.

Although the result suggests a completely one-sided game, it wasn’t always so, as Ireland were reduced to 27 for 3 early on. One of those wickets was that of the prolific Paul Stirling, bowled by Matthew Breban for 0.

Tuesday’s half-centurion Stuart Thompson also didn’t score, gloving a simple catch to gully. Ben Ackland tamely drove a simple return catch to Andy Hutchinson, and Ireland were rattled on a pitch offering considerable assistance to the seamers.

The turning point came with James Shannon’s first delivery from Hutchinson, which reared and took the outside edge. Keeper Tom Kimber and first slip both left it for each other, and the ball sailed to the boundary with the inquest still going on.

From then on, the game was always firmly in Ireland’s grasp, as Shannon (38), added 85 for the fourth wicket with skipper Andrew Balbirnie. The captain showed great application adjusting to the difficult conditions, before accelerating as the ball softened and batting became much easier.

He top scored with 83 from 125 balls, hitting 9 fours and one six. The middle and lower all chipped in, with good contributions from George Dockrell (28*), Lee Nelson (27), and Stuart Poynter (19).

Boosted by the concession of 55 extras, a final Irish total of 281 was always going to be beyond the capabilities of Guernsey. In the bowling, Matthew Breban (3-38) excelled, while there were two wickets apiece for Hutchinson, Clark and Kirk.

If the Guernsey bowling and fielding has stuck to their task reasonably well, the same plaudits couldn’t be paid to their batting.

A combination of quick seam bowling, poor batting technique and complete lack of application meant that they mustered just 49 runs in 16.2 overs of carnage.

Craig Young was the main beneficiary with five for 22 in seven lively overs, while at the other end Shane Getkate took three for 18. And then Graeme McCarter finished things off with two for 2 from eight deliveries.

At Les Quennevais, Denmark was no match for Scotland, battling their way to 133 all out after winning the toss and electing to bat first.

Ali Ahmed was their mainstay, carrying his bat for an undefeated 46, made from 146 balls with a solitary boundary. Without his patient contribution, Denmark might well have been bundled out for well under 100.

He received little support from the rest of his side, only Hamid Shah (10) and Niclas Hald (20) reaching double figures. Hald’s 27-ball knock was the only sustained display of aggression by any of the Danes, but it was only a matter of time before he holed out at long on.

Matthew Parker (two for 8) and Willie Rowan (two for 19) bowled well at the start of the innings, and then the Scottish spinners Keith Morton (two for 33) and Oli Hairs (three for 29) tied their opponents down through twenty controlled overs.

With the threat of rain looming, Hairs seemed determined to finish the game as quickly as possible, racing to his half-century from 40 balls despite the loss of Freddie Coleman and Mark Petrie to Shah’s spin.

And then he accelerated still more, so much so that it seemed for a time that he might reach what would have been an extraordinary century. In the end he fell just short, ending on 90 from 63 deliveries, with 13 fours and a six, as Ewan Chalmers hit the winning run in 18.5 overs.

Friday is a rest day, with the final two rounds of matches scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.