International clashes - 12 months away?

GUERNSEY cricket is set to take off in a massive way and games against the likes of Namibia, Argentina and Malaysia could be only a year away. The monumental decision to apply for ICC membership, which was announced two weeks ago, has instantly opened up international competition to Sarnian cricketers of all ages.

And there is no limit to how far Guernsey can go, according to Dave Piesing, the Channel Islands Cricket Board member who investigated the possibility of going down the ICC route.

'Guernsey cricket may already seem to be booming but in many respects we are only scratching the surface,' said Piesing.

'The fact is that until deciding to apply to join the ICC, we had reached a ceiling - beating Jersey was our sole yardstick and the health of our cricket was being judged entirely on a single limited-overs match against our neighbours.'

Assuming Guernsey's application for affiliate membership is accepted at the ICC's annual meeting in June 2005, island cricketers should reap immediate benefits with matches against associate members already being mooted for our senior squad next summer.

In mid-July 2005, Ireland will host the World Cup qualifying tournament to be contested by the leading associate and any qualifying affiliate members.

Although Guernsey is too late to qualify for that tournament, the island has approached Namibia, Malaysia and Argentina with a view to providing them with warm-up friendlies.

All three countries have shown a positive interest in those offers and the games could take place in Ireland, England or even Guernsey if it proves possible to arrange.

'Such games will provide us with a perfect opportunity to test ourselves against well-proven associate members,' said Piesing.

Following on from those potential fixtures, Guernsey are likely to be playing in the 2005 European Cricket Council Trophy to be held over a week in late July on the European continent.

That would be the island's first taste of formal ICC competition and Piesing believes a realistic goal would be to win the competition with the main opposition likely to be our closest neighbours.

'While we will be expected to beat all or most of the existing European affiliate member countries, there can be little doubt that both Jersey and the Isle of Man of the new affiliate members will provide very tough competition for us,' he said.

In the longer term, the real carrot for Guernsey is the 2009 World Cup qualifying tournament by which time the island ought to be an associate member.

But the benefits will not only be for the seniors as the ICC offers competitions at under-19, under-17, under-15 and under-13 levels, as well as for women.

'The whole package of ICC European tournaments is a very comprehensive one and will provide Guernsey cricketers of all ages, as well as our cricketing ladies, with a regular, structured programme of challenging tournaments, which in turn lead to global tournaments as we attain ever-higher standards.'