Guernsey bowling duo Jamie Nussbaumer and David Hooper ensured that the Channel Island got off to a winning start today at the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 (WCL Div. 5). The duo ripped through the Bahrain batting order to dismiss the entire team for 49 in under 14 overs. GH Smit, Jeremy Frith and Ross Kneller then knocked off the target to give the side a nine-wicket victory.

Host Singapore made its intentions clear for the tournament by defeating Cayman Islands by 80 runs in a reduced overs match, displaying good skills with bat and ball. Meanwhile, Malaysia despite an interruption for rain beat Argentina by 47 runs in its reduced overs fixture.

At the famous Singapore Cricket Club, Guernsey made light work of dismissing Bahrain with fast bowler Nussbaumer proving the pick of the bowlers with match figures of 6-1-19-5. The 24-year-old Guernsey-born player dismissed the entire top order of Shahzad Ahmed, Adnan Butt and Azeem ul Haq, with the opener Shahzad departing on the opening ball of the match.

Nussbaumer was ably assisted in his quest for wickets by medium-pacer Hooper whose tight bowling saw the 20-year-old snap up three wickets for just one run as he dismissed key middle-order batsman Adil Hanif.

Nussbaumer continued to bowl straight and with aggression and removed key all-rounder Tahir Dar to put Bahrain in an even deeper mess in muggy conditions at the Singapore Cricket Club and eventually the whole side departed for just 49 runs in 13.5 overs.

In reply, it took Guernsey just 12.5 overs to reach the required 50 but not before opener GH Smit departed for 13 runs after edging to the wicketkeeper. It was then up to Kneller and all-rounder Frith to complete proceedings and secure victory for the island.

Man of the match Nussbaumer said: "It was a good pitch and definitely seamer friendly in comparison to Dubai where we were before we got to Singapore. It's always nice when the ball is jumping around a bit and I was just getting it into the right areas.

"We played with good intensity and it was always going to be hard for Bahrain to come out to bowl after we had skittled them for so little and you can't blame their bowlers for the result. I tried to play to my normal game and stick to the normal areas of hitting top of off and the pitched helped me to do that and claim the five wickets.

"Tomorrow we're playing hosts Singapore which we know is going to be a tough game. Today gave us a boost for sure but it's a new day tomorrow and we have to play our best against the hosts who are definitely one of the favourites for the event," added Nussbaumer.