Guernsey quartet head to Cyprus

CYPRUS beckons this weekend for the Guernsey quartet heading off to the European Championships. It is the first of several high profile international events at which the Bowls Guernsey Association will be represented during 2007.

The team of Geoff Savident, Sid Le Maitre, Lynn Small and Jackie Nicolle will be managed by Carol Besnard and will face the intriguing prospect of playing outdoor bowls on an artificial surface.

'That is all that Cyprus has,' said Bowls Guernsey chief executive Garry Collins, who will also be travelling with the team in his official capacity.

'Grass does not seem to work over there when it comes to preparing a bowls surface, but the Cyprus association bid for the championships and were awarded them, so good luck to them.'

Guernsey are one of 13 countries involved in the competition, which is played on a singles and mixed pairs round-robin basis.

In the pairs, Small will lead for Le Maitre while Nicolle will skip in her partnership with Savident.

Players gain points for their team over week and there is also individual standings.

The 2007 Guernsey quartet are less experienced on this stage.

'The selectors are giving them the chance to go away and experience this standard and I am sure they will make the most of it.

'Following on from Ali Merrien's Test match weekend just gone, it is about giving more bowlers these opportunities because we need more people coming in to play at international level to help us progress,' said Collins.

Later in the year Guernsey bowlers will again be racking up the air miles.

Ian Merrien will compete at the World Cup Indoor Singles in Australia while Matt Le Ber travels to Hong Kong for the under-25s' version.

Teams will also be heading off to the British Isles Championships in Edinburgh and the Atlantic Rim Games in Ayr before Gary Pitschou and Ali Merrien return to Australia for the World Champion of Champions.