Record-breaking Jersey make T20 World Cup Qualifier final

Jersey put in a record-breaking performance to book a final date with Channel Island rivals Guernsey in the 2028 T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe Qualifier A in Cyprus.

The islanders beat Croatia by 109 runs, with their total of 280-3 the highest score ever posted by a Jersey side in a T20 international.

In reply, Croatia were bowled out for 171 as Jersey ended the group stage with a perfect record of four wins from four, having previously beaten Switzerland,hosts Cyprus and France.

Should Jersey beat Guernsey - who also topped their group after beating Slovenia - in Saturday’s final, they will return to the final round of qualifying for the T20 World Cup for the sixth time.

Croatia won the toss and put Jersey into bat - a decision which came back to haunt them as openers Harrison Carlyon and Patrick Gouge impressed.

The pair put on 142 for the first wicket - the second-highest partnership in Jersey’s T20 international history - before Carlyon was caught on the boundary for 83.

The Jersey batter smashed seven sixes and five fours in his 42-ball innings while Gouge went for 58 - his highest-ever T20 score - soon after to leave Jersey on 150-2 off 12.4 overs.

With such a healthy run-rate, Nick Greenwood and Jonty Jenner played big shots with freedom - Jenner scored 24 runs off the 14th over.

The former Sussex academy player made his 50 off just 16 balls while Greenwood scored 66 off 24 balls in an innings that included seven sixes as their 112-run, third-wicket stand came in just 5.5 overs.

Jenner went on to make 65 off 22 balls, including six sixes, as Jersey ended on 280-3.

The total dwarfed Jersey’s previous best total - 233-3 against Serbia in the same stage of T20 World Cup qualifying two years ago.

With nothing to lose, Croatia's reply started superbly as openers Sam Houghton and Connor Carroll smashed a 57-run partnership off 3.4 overs.

Houghton was caught and bowled by Julius Sumerauer for 22 off 12 balls as the pair hit 28 off Dominic Blampied in the second over.

Big-hitting Carroll - who had conceded 63 runs off his four overs with the ball without taking a wicket - seemed determined to make up for it with the bat as he reached his half-century in 16 balls.

He helped the Croats reach 87-2 at the end of the sixth over as his side kept in touch with the run rate.

Jersey thought they had taken his wicket midway through the eighth over but skipper Charles Perchard dropped a simple catch with Carroll on 69 from 27 balls.

But he was caught in the next over as Jenner held on at the boundary off a George Richardson delivery, Carroll departing having made 74 off 31 balls including nine sixes to leave Croatia on 116-3 after 10 overs.

With Carroll back in the pavilion, Croatia’s run chase slowed - Rashid Hashmi was caught for 20 and Jared Newton for 23 as they slipped to 154-5 with five overs to go.

Zak Tribe helped mop up the lower order with figures of 3-13 as Croatia were bowled out for 171 with an over to spare.