Wanderers downturn?

AFTER a dream debut season in which they were flying high at the top of the table, Wanderers could hit the ground with a bump this summer. Not that they are going to be pushovers by any stretch of the imagination, but they are one of the two teams in the championship, along with Optimists, to have been weakened over the winter while the others have got stronger.

Gone are two of their most consistent performers of the title-winning side in Tim Duke and Ben Driver and they have not been replaced. It has left captain Dave Piesing unsure of how his team will cope, in contrast to last year when he predicted they would be major title contenders.

'Ben consistently scored runs for us coming in at number three last season and we will miss Dukey as well, of course, but he missed four or five weeks of the season last year and we still won games.

'So it is a massive blow but it does not leave an unfillable hole. It is going to mean a bit of a reshuffle.'

Of those who remain, Tim Belton, will obviously retain one opening berth but rather than push the likes of Richard Veillard and Gary Tapp up a couple of spots, Piesing is looking at other options for numbers two and three that Duke and Driver filled.

'Personally, I like the idea of Richard at four, Gary at five and Pierre Moody at six. That line-up worked well for us last year.

'The difference this year is that a couple of the lower order could be batting at two or three or we might yet pick up a couple of new signings.

'One important factor for us will be the availability of James Warr. When he is available around his college commitments, he will certainly open the batting.'

Warr is technically very good, possesses every shot in the book and, having shown his potential a few years ago, is beginning to blossom into someone who could soon be pushing for island recognition.

Who will bat at three is open to debate.

Piesing is not expecting to see Adrian Birkett much this summer so the options could boil down to Steve Birkett, Spencer Noyon or the skipper himself.

Wanderers' bowling options look set to be boosted by Ralph Anthony and Steve Le Ray, who are likely to be guesting for the team from Salemites. The addition of Anthony will give Wanderers a spin trio all aged over 50, the other two members being Steve Birkett and Ted Enevoldsen.

The seam bowling department will be led by inter-insular hero Moody, with other options provided by Noyon, Keith Le Cheminant, Le Ray and Phil Challenger, although the latter currently has a knee injury.

'If we get runs on the board, people might find it difficult to bat against us,' said Piesing. But he is under no illusions as to how hard the defence of the title will be.

'Whoever wins the league really will have earned it. A team could well win the league with only five or six wins out of eight games.

'I look around and I would say Cobo have added Mark Renouf, but their batting is not any stronger and Optimists are not going to be any stronger.

'Rovers are going to be the team to beat. Certainly, the talent and depth are there, but they have got to gel as a team.

'Mavericks are going to be the dark horses. On paper, they are a tough side, very competitive, and I do not rule them out. Any of the five teams, potentially, could come top or bottom of the league,' Piesing said.

In the evenings, it could be very similar stories for NRG Pessimists and Aon St Saviour's. Last year they finished fourth and fifth respectively and coupling the loss of a pivotal player each (Duke for Pessimists and Driver for Saints) with the resurgence of Rovers, they may drop down a place this time around, although both should claim a few scalps.

'We have got to be realistic this year. With losing Tim Duke and not replacing him, we are not going to be challenging for honours this season,' said Tim Belton, the Pessimists captain.

'I think there will be a more distinct two divisions within one this year, with St Pierre, Optimists, Rovers and Cobo at the top and then the rest fighting it out at the bottom.

'For us this season, trying to bring on individuals is the target.

'I would like to think Pierre will have another good season following on from his innings in the inter-insular, he will bat at three, and also that James Warr could score a lot of runs, exams permitting. He opened for us in a few games towards the end of last season, scored a 50 in one of them and he has come on leaps and bounds in the last year.'

One bonus for Pessimists is that Pete Matthews is likely to be available until the end of July after delaying his departure from the island.

Meanwhile, St Saviour's will be looking to their former island players Veillard and Tapp to do the bulk of their scoring, helped by contributions from Ross Bateman, Glen Mourant and Simon Fisher.

All-rounder Noyon will also have a big role to play, especially if Challenger's injury problems persist.

'Last year we got our wins against our fellow lower place sides early on which meant there was less pressure on us during the rest of the season,' said Richard Veillard, the Saints captain. 'That would basically be our aim again - to be at the top of the ?second half? of the division early on. But the main aim is to just have fun and enjoy it.'