European Cricket League: Jersey champions Farmers lose twice on second day

Zak and Asa Tribe opened the batting for Farmers in both Tuesday's defeats

Jersey champions Farmers suffered two heavy defeats on the second day of their European Cricket League campaign.

The islanders - who lost by seven runs to Dutch champions HBS Craeyenhout on Monday - are fifth in the six-team group and have yet to pick up a point.

Cypriot champions Punjab Lions Nicosia beat the Jersey side by seven wickets in their first 10-over game on Tuesday.

Farmers then went down to an eight-wicket defeat by Spanish league winners Pak I Care Badalona in Spain.

Opener Zak Tribe lasted just three balls as Farmers batted first against Punjab Lions, but his brother Asa (31) and Julius Sumerauer (15) put on 40 for the second wicket.

Farmers were reduced to 56-4 before Charles Perchard (30) and Rick Firth (14) put on a 30-run stand for the fifth wicket as they eventually ended their innings on 105-8.

In reply, Punjab Lions opener and captain Gurpartap Singh scored an unbeaten 85 off 32 balls including 10 sixes as he put the Farmers attack to the sword.

He and Tejwinder Singh put on 61 for the third wicket in just four overs as the Cypriot side reached their target with 10 balls to spare.

Farmers' batsmen failed to get going in their second game against Pak I Care Badalona.

Zak Tribe's 28 off 12 balls was the highlight of a disappointing innings which saw just two other players make low double-figure totals as they were restricted to 88-7 off their 10 overs.

The Spanish champions began their reply in devastating form.

They were 59-1 off the first four overs as opener Muhammad Babar reached his half-century from just 15 balls which included five sixes - three of which came in a row as Sumerauer conceded 20 runs off the fourth over.

Babar went on to make 63 off 21 balls including seven sixes as the Spanish side reached their target with the first ball of the sixth over to go top of the pool.

The islanders face winless Portuguese champions Malo and GEK Corfu from Greece in their final pool games on Wednesday.

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