T20 World Cup qualifier: Jersey qualification unlikely after France defeat

Jersey wicketkeeper Mia Maguire had a hand in three French wickets before hitting 14 not out

Jersey's hopes of progressing to the next stage of qualifying for the 2024 T20 World Cup seem all but over after a six-run loss to France.

Having won the toss France opted to bat first and made 110-8 as opener Ines McKeon hit 35 while Grace Wetherall took three French wickets.

In reply Jersey could only make 104 all out as they lost for the second time.

The defeat leaves Jersey fourth in the six-team tournament with one game to play and the top two progressing.

France, Germany and Italy all have six points after three wins from four games while Jersey have four points in ICC Women's T20 World Cup Europe Division Two.

The islanders play fifth-placed Sweden in their final game on Friday knowing they must win and hope winless Turkey - who have suffered heavy defeats in their first four games - get an unlikely victory over Italy.

The winners of Friday's match between Germany and France will guarantee themselves a place in the four-team European Division One tournament in Spain later this year.

• Germany loss and Turkey win for Jersey

• Jersey begin T20 World Cup qualifying with Italy win

• Jersey women target success in T20 World Cup qualifying event

France's 16-year-old opener McKeon set the pace as she and Lydia Wykes-Templeman put on 38 for the opening wicket before the latter was bowled by 15-year-old Jersey bowler Sophia Hanson for 10.

McKeon - who hit 94 in France's 48-run win over Sweden earlier on Thursday - went on to make 38 from 32 balls including six fours before being caught by Charlotte Miles off Wetherall's bowling to leave the French on 47-2 from nine overs.

France skipper Marie Violleau's 24 from 24 balls kept her side going but she was run out to make the score 81-3 before Amy Seddon fell to a similar fate two balls later - both to wicketkeeper Mia Maguire.

Wetherall took two more wickets to claim figures of 3-15 while Maguire stumped Dorothea Graham off Chloe Greechan's bowling as France ended on 110-8 having lost four wickets in the final three overs.

Jersey made a stuttering start in their reply - opener Charlotte Miles was bowled for a first-ball duck while Maria da Rocha went for seven to leave them on 18-2 off five overs.

Trinity Smith made 21 before being the second player bowled by Anika Bester at the end of the ninth over before skipper Greechan was bowled by Emma Patel five balls later to leave Jersey on 46-4.

Analise Merritt hit a quickfire 11 but Aimee Aikenhead was bowled for a three-ball duck as Jersey slumped to 63-6 with seven overs to go.

Wetherall hit 14 from 14 balls, including the game's only six, but when she was bowled by Bester midway through the 17th over Jersey's hopes evaporated.

Her replacement Erin Duffy was bowled with the very next ball as Bester ended with figures of 4-20.

Maguire and Hanson put on a final-wicket stand of 16 to ensure a tense finish, but Hanson was run out for three midway through the final over as Maguire ended on 14 not out.

"Unfortunately we didn't take that opportunity to get ahead of the game today, we had to fight back once again, which is becoming a bit of a theme this week," Jersey head coach Lee Meloy told BBC Radio Jersey.

"I'm proud of the way that they stuck at it and did fight back and restricted them to 110, which at one stage could have been a lot more.

"We never died down, every time it looked like we were out of the game we just kept sneaking back into it, so there's positives in that, but there's also part of me as a coach that would like us not to have to be in these positions in the first place."