Long spells are over

GUERNSEY'S top bowlers are set to have their lot reduced once more. With the possibility of both the Guernsey Cricket Association and its Jersey counterpart joining the International Cricket Council in the near future, it has been proposed that Channel Islands rules undergo a phased transition towards the ICC format.

That would provide players with the opportunity of familiarising themselves with such a playing format, which means that Cable & Wireless Championship sides will need a fifth bowler.

'Guernsey's decision on its possible application for ICC membership will be announced before the end of March, along with Jersey's,' said Dave Piesing, GCA weekend representative.

'But the playing formats of the proposed CI Club Championship, the GCA Championship and the GCA Cup are being restructured with a close eye on the standard ICC format for limited-overs matches.'

The proposal for the forthcoming season is that in the 45-overs-per-side matches, bowlers would be restricted to a maximum of 10.

There would also be the standard 30-yard fielding restriction of a minimum of four fielders in the circle.

'But if Guernsey enters the ICC, then those developments would have to be introduced in 2005 in order to get our players and captains familiar with those playing conditions,' Piesing said.

As recently as the 2000 season, there were no restrictions on the number one player could bowl in a 45-over afternoon league match.

In 2001 it became a maximum of 15 and last year a bowler could deliver no more than 12.

So within five years a bowler's afternoon league limit will have dropped by 14 overs (23 to nine), although there are several more fixtures for Championship clubs now.

The number of fixtures would also increase with the introduction of a CI Club Championship, about which discussions are at an advanced stage and should be finalised with two weeks for a competition this year.

'The principles of the proposal are that the top four sides from each island's weekend league in 2004 will progress to a round-robin group format to be played in late July and August, with the semi-finals and final in early September.

'There is also the suggestion of a second competition for the fifth-placed sides from each island and, because Jersey has six teams in its top weekend league, it is possible that a sixth side from Guernsey would also participate,' said Piesing.

In other weekend cricket changes, Piesing announ-ced that every GCA Championship match would be played at the KGV this summer, which would allow matches to be moved onto the artificial wicket if it would enable it to go ahead in marginal weather conditions.

The Duckworth-Lewis system governing weather-affected matches will be introduced for this season 'if it is practical and feasible to do so', Piesing said.

Meanwhile, the GCA Cup will be competed for by the five Championship sides on a full 'ICC-rule' basis.

That is 50 overs per side, full fielding restrictions, 10 overs per bowler and Duckworth-Lewis system.