Guernsey even stronger than last year's winners

IT IS hard to imagine the 2004 Cherry Godfrey Challenge matching the immense drama and excitement of last year's extraordinary inter-insular. The abiding memories are of Pierre Moody slapping a straight pull over mid-on to win a game that half-an-hour earlier had looked lost and the picture of him with captain Andy Biggins afterwards when the hero could barely raise a smile, so draining had his efforts been on that sweltering day.

Dave Gorman, the Jersey captain a year ago and now team manager, said that, without question, that match at the KGV was the best in which he had ever been involved.

Coming from a quality player who had an impressive Minor Counties career before moving to the Channel Islands, that is saying something. But Guernsey v. Jersey clashes have a tendency to produce exceptional contests and let's hope, for the crowd's sake, that tomorrow's meeting is no different.

The Sarnians will go in as favourites, with Biggins looking to maintain his 100% winning record as skipper and lift the trophy for a third successive year.

And we certainly have a side capable of completing the hat-trick. Biggins has warned against complacency, however.

'We should be confident but certainly not over-confident,' he said. 'On paper this is the strongest side that Guernsey has had for some years, but it remains an unknown quantity. Our preparations this season have not been ideal, through no fault of our own, and, as a result, this season we will be judged on this one result.

'It comes down to one 50-over match and, as last year showed, cricket is not always that predictable.

'Our team selection was unanimous: it is an extremely versatile team but what we have to be wary of is thinking that all we have to do is turn up at Grainville and expect things to go our way. If we win, we will have earned it. It will be harder than last year and in 2002.

'There is one thing that you can guarantee from a Jersey side - they will make life very hard for you. They will have taken last year's defeat badly in a game they should have won.'

Guernsey have two exciting new additions this year.

Nick Derbyshire signalled his arrival in the island by winning the player-of-the-month award for May and his credentials are obvious, being a former first-class cricketer.

The other new cap is the youngest member of the side but, as manager Dave Hearse said, Divan van den Heever has matured greatly as a cricketer this summer.

The 20-year-old Optimists all-rounder has impressed everyone with his destructive batting and the middle-order combination of him and Stuart Le Prevost is potentially devastating.

The South African's left-arm bowling is also a very handy option for Biggins, with van den Heever having added more control to his rapid pace.

It was disappointing to lose Glenn Milnes to his long-term injury but the form of Richard Heading-ton, who is returning to the side after a three-year absence, has softened the blow. The former island captain has batted beautifully at times this season and has been in the runs of late, with two big scores in July. He has scored an unbeaten century for the island this summer as well.

Headington has also proved himself to be very capable with the gloves and that has proved to be a blessing for Hearse in getting the ideal balance for the team.

Add to those three the nucleus of last year's side and you have a very strong XI.

'We have a long batting line-up, with batsmen capable of adapting to any situation. Likewise, the bowling has versatility - pace, swing and spin. But, it still comes down to things clicking into place on the day,' said Biggins.

'We have talked through a game plan but that is not set in stone and we will change things, if appropriate, on the day. Players know that they will need to tailor their game to what suits given situations best.'

Jersey, meanwhile, have pushed more towards youth in a bid to regain the trophy this time around and some of the names may not be familiar to some this side of the water.

Peter Gough returns to the side following a year's absence and he is joined by fellow under-21 player Andy Dewhurst. Both are very promising, elegant batsmen who can also provide useful bowling options.

Left-arm seamer Peter Blackburn is the other new cap (along with Dewhurst) and he made the team on the back of his fine performance in the B inter-insular.

The youngsters join up with regulars such as the Carlyon brothers, Chris Jones, Simon Short and Paul Horton in the side led by Meeku Patidar.

But the Caesareans have been hit by the absence of Matt Hague. The Australian is currently away and his all-round contribution will be sorely missed.

'We have to respect that and safeguard against handing them the initiative.'

It is understandable that the home side will start as underdogs, but Jersey are still very capable of putting in the type of performance required to win the showpiece occasion.

However, Guernsey are on the crest of a wave at the moment and because of the Sarnians' experience, quality and versatility, I would wager on Biggins lifting that trophy for the third time tomorrow afternoon.

That would equal Guernsey's best run in the inter-insular.