'Cricket Guernsey' the gateway to ICC

INTERNATIONAL friendlies will be on the agenda for the island's top cricketers from next year. Competitive games in International Cricket Council tournaments are just two years away.

That was the message from Guernsey Cricket Board chairman Dave Piesing at the launch of 'Cricket Guernsey'.

Guernsey's ICC adventure cannot start until their application for affiliate membership is approved by the ICC in the summer of 2005.

That is a formality and at the launch of the GCB Piesing told the gathering of island age-group players, coaches, administrators and supporters of the sport locally that Cricket Guernsey had been given every indication that associate membership and the financial windfall that comes with it could come as early as 2007.

Financially, associate membership will bring in four to five times more than the existing funding from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

'It promises to be a very exciting time for Guernsey cricket,' said Piesing who outlined the available tournaments at all ages.

'The opportunities are unique and it's up to us to grab them,' he said.

Once affiliated, Guernsey will slot into the ICC's regional structure from under-13 level upwards.

Piesing said that as the ICC moved to introduce a three-tier Test system, Guernsey needed to 'aspire to get onto the third level'.

Ahead of official ICC competition, Guernsey can expect to play Scotland under-23s in a three-day game at the start of the 2006 season, having already played them in three one-day matches in Scotland in May 2005.

Ireland and Denmark have also been in contact and friendly internationals with them could also happen in 2005.

'Hopefully, we will have a full programme of matches in place for each age group by the end of October,' said Piesing.

Long term, it is envisaged Guernsey competing in the ICC World Cup qualifying trophy in 2009.

Piesing believes it is a realistic target to reach the last eight, after which Guernsey would be just one win away from World Cup qualification.

He hopes nations eligible to play in the 2005 ICC World Cup qualifying trophy can be persuaded to play a warm-up tournament in the Channel Islands prior to moving to Ireland for the big competition.

But there will be massive tournaments on the agenda for the youngsters, too.

'With the rising standards in our local game and the continued coaching and development programmes in place, we expect several players presently under the age of 15 to show that Guernsey has the potential to qualify in its own right for future under-19 World Cup tournaments.

'We are building ?Cricket Guernsey? as a brand,' said the GCB chairman.

He sees it as a partnership between the Guernsey Cricket Board, as the overall governing body for the sport in the island, the Guernsey Cricket Association, which runs the various leagues and cups, and the Guernsey Young Cricketers' Development Committee, which is responsible for the development of all players up to under-19 level.

The GCB comprises six executive members: Piesing, vice-chairman Gary Tapp, treasurer Rob Hutchinson, secretary Rob Batiste and, by right of office, the presidents of the GCA and GYCDC, Dave Nussbaumer and Dave Clark.