Sylvans will have fight to stay in the top flight

FOR the first time in four years a team has been promoted to the top flight of the Evening Cricket League. Sylvans are the first club to take advantage of the change in structure brought in last year, which put clubs' A teams in the same conference.

Consequently, they earned the right to play with the 'big boys' in Barclays Premier One.

They know it is not going to be easy, especially with a lack of major signings. Under-17 player Blane Queripel and a couple of newcomers to the island are the only additions to the squad. But they have been working extremely hard in pre-season, with considerable help from a veteran of many inter-insulars.

'We have had Ralph Anthony coaching us. He has given up his time over about 11 weeks for us and we can't thank him enough,' said Pete Inniss, who will be Sylvans' on-field captain, with Gary Le Page still in charge of organising the side.

Survival has to be the target for the westerners. They will not be expected to cause any upsets and most people will regard them as favourites for an immediate return to Premier Two.

However, Inniss, who along with Richard Gallienne and Ivan Guille will be playing a vital role, believes his side could pull off one or two surprises and he is looking to accumulate as many points as possible against the weaker teams.

'To win as many games as possible and to go out on the field to be competitive - those are our aims,' he said.

'Obviously, games against the likes of Optimists, St Pierre and Cobo are going to be hard but we live in hope we can get something from them. We need to capitalise on those games against the lower teams.

'It is going to be an interesting season for us and we are hoping for a bit of luck as well.'

All-rounder Inniss is one of the few Sylvans players to have top-flight experience, having previously played for Taverners.

In his role as skipper, he will pass on whatever information about opponents that he can, particularly from a bowling point of view.

'I have played first division for a few years and you get a tendency to know what a batsman's strengths are and where not to bowl to him.

'It will just be little things, anything that might help, but the only way you are going to learn is by playing in this division.'

Sylvans' first fixture in the top flight could not be any harder.

On the opening day of the season, Tuesday 22 April, they face reigning champions DHS St Pierre and although Inniss does not expect to get much out of the game, he acknowledged that it might be a good time to play them.

'We'll just see how we get on there. They should be the better side, of course, but you never know - it is the start of the season, conditions might be difficult and we might sneak a few runs and wickets.

'I have been speaking to various people who have said that they like to see a team like Sylvans get promoted because it is putting something different into the first division.

'I hope that if we can stay up, then we could sign a couple of better players and keep building.

'You have got to have high ambitions.

'If you consider the way Rovers were struggling a few years ago and then look at them now after some hard work, it shows it can be done. Maybe we could achieve something like that,' said Inniss.