GCA stumps up £250 reward and call in law

A £250 reward is being offered for information leading to the prosecution of the KGV grass-wicket saboteurs. The Guernsey Cricket Association is putting up the sum after the actions of vandals meant last weekend's vital Carey Olsen Championship match between C&W Rovers and Randy Paddle Mavericks had to be moved onto the artificial strip.

The matter is now in the hands of the police after Dave Piesing, the GCA weekend officer, made an official complaint.

'We are simply trying to catch the culprit and we have done this in case someone knows something. Hopefully, offering a reward might help to find those responsible,' he said.

The problem arose when the covers were tampered with overnight after the abandonment of the Barclays Premier One game between Deloitte and DB Taverners.

To counteract such vandalism happening again, surveillance equipment is now being installed at the ground.

Tomorrow's championship match at the KGV could decide which team misses out on a place in the Channel Islands Club Championship.

PKF Wanderers, the current Guernsey champions, need to win against Mavericks to have a chance of finishing in the top four and Piesing has virtually a full squad from which to choose with the exception of talented teenager James Warr, who is captaining Elizabeth College First XI on tour.

'If we play and do not win, we do not deserve to qualify,' said the Wanderers skipper. 'It is very much down to us to rescue our season.

'We have been quite inconsistent to say the least because we have beaten Cobo and Rovers, the top two sides, and yet if we lose to Mavericks for a second time we can hardly deserve to finish above them.

'It just goes to show how tight the championship has been.'

Robbie Moore, the Mavericks captain for the game, reported that once again his side would be severely weakened due to injuries.

Among others, Glenn Milnes, Justin Scriven, Paul Wakeford and Dave Hearse are unavailable.

'It has been very frustrating, I've never known anything like it. And they are very key players as well, not just what you would call squad players,' he said.

Whether the match will be played on grass or the KGV artificial wicket depends on if the weather allows a pitch to be prepared properly.

n Anybody with any information about the vandalism of the KGV grass wicket is asked to contact the police on 725111 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

For the second successive evening there was no play possible in the scheduled Barclays Premier One clash at KGV.

Aon St Saviour's had been due to play DHS St Pierre.