GCA throw out JCA's opening gambit

JERSEY'S proposal of an August-only Channel Islands League will not happen. After a meeting of the Jersey Cricket Association clubs last week, it emerged that the Caesareans will apparently suggest an eight-team competition comprising the top four sides from each island playing in two groups.

Only one month would be required to complete such a league.

But Guernsey Cricket Association president Gary Tapp believes that that is not a viable option.

'It will not happen in that format because a one-month competition does not have enough profile for the potential sponsor to warrant spending a lot of money on it,' he said.

'But that is Jersey's opening gambit and it is a positive that they are looking to do something. There are still discussions to take place and basically it is now back in the hands of the Channel Islands Cricket Board.'

CICB member Dave Piesing, while admitting that a one-month competition would not be of interest to sponsors, said that he had yet to hear officially whether reports of Jersey's proposal were correct.

However, he is hopeful that a suitable CI league structure can be found.

'What we are trying to do is create the pinnacle of CI cricket,' said Piesing.

'We have deliberately left it wide open at this stage. There are probably half a dozen ways to structure the competition.

'I think what both islands are looking at is the residual of their own domestic competitions.

'If you take five to seven weekends of the season out for a CI league, that leaves only five or six other weekends. It is possible that both islands have a different view on what they want to do with their own competitions.'

If an agreement cannot be reached on the format of a CI league, Tapp reiterated that Guernsey will look elsewhere for competitive cricket to improve the standard of local players.

'We want to develop Guernsey cricket by giving them the best possible standard to play at. If the only way to do that is outside the Channel Islands then we will have to look elsewhere.

'We would be failing our players if we were not

providing them with a challenging environment in which to compete.

'We now have players at under-11 and up through the other junior age groups who are playing county cricket for Wiltshire and Hampshire and we do not want to stagnate their progression once they reach senior level.

'That is my position as GCA president and I know that is the will of other senior figures in local cricket,' Tapp said.