Switching from the 15 eight-ball over format to 20 six-ball overs, Abacus defeated Air Conditioning Jersey by 26 runs while JUBRFC won off the last ball against NatWest Evening League newcomers Jersey Zoo.
Abacus’ Nick Taylor said: ‘If we are to play proper Twenty20 then it is essential that time rules and penalties are considered.
The game eneded at 9 o’clock at which time it was getting dark.’ Abacus’ Peter Canham hit a solid 34, supported by Naveed Rafique.
Both Alan Lesbirel and Richard Parker went cheaply bringing Myles West to the crease.
West arrived with the score on 89 and after his usual steady start he took a liking to Nigel Johnson’s bowling by hitting four 6s and two fours.
West completed an undefeated half century as Abacus closed on 162 for 8.
Ian Crocker and Jon Prince made a steady start, but they were always behind the required run rate of eight an over.
When Michael Woodrow had removed Nigel Crocker and Johnson, it was left to Ian Crocker to up the rate.
A partnership of 86 with Paul Baker was not enough, and when West took Crocker’s wicket for 79, with only eight balls remaining, with it went Air Con’s hopes of victory.
JUBRFC secretary Paul Kemp said: ‘It was a bit uncomfortable at the end in the fading light but what a finish we had.
Personally I liked the previous format because we finished in better light.
‘The Zoo lads were fantastic, they made a great game of it.
They slung the bat at everything throughout and gave us a good target of 167 for victory.
‘We started slowly and therefore required 99 to win off the last ten overs.
Skipper John McIntosh retired on 50 and only after the game we found out that there are no retirements in the JEP Cup! ‘However one of their lads retired too so that evened things out.
John smashed a six and six fours and he had excellent support from Ben Naylor.
Despite carrying a knee injury young Ben ran his socks off before being run out for 32.
‘We needed five to win off the final two balls and we ran four off the penultimate ball thanks to two over-throws.
We got our winning run off the last ball after their wicket-keeper dropped the ball at one end and, throwing it to the other, the bowler then dropped it too!’
