County sides promise sixes and excitement

GUERNSEY once again plays host to the stars of county cricket when Kent face Sussex in tomorrow's Barclays Twenty20+ Challenge. It is the 10th county match that the Lord's Taverners have organised in Guernsey and the second time it has taken on the new and immensely popular short form of the game.

The sides will have a 20-over innings apiece in the morning and then again in the afternoon, with the winners being decided on the highest aggregate over the day.

Among the England internationals on show at the KGV will be Min Patel and Mark Ealham for Kent and Chris Adams and Ian Ward from the 2003 county champions, Sussex.

All-rounder Ealham, who now plies his trade for Nottinghamshire, was the inaugural winner of the Sky Sports Sixes League this summer, hitting 20 of them from just 359 balls in one-day competitions for his county including an incredible nine in one innings against Yorkshire.

Local fans will be looking for that sort of entertainment tomorrow.

Incorporated into the fund-raiser will be the finals of the Barclays Kwik Cricket Championship, with Hautes Capelles, La Mare de Carteret, Vale and St Martin's Primary schools getting their chance to play alongside the pros.

The tournament will follow the usual Kwik cricket format with each side being split into four pairs for batting.

Each pair receive three overs and have five runs deducted from their score every time a wicket falls. Teams start on 100s.

'Kwik Cricket is as close to the real game as you can get,' said development coach Jason Shambrook.

'It provides a stepping stone between playing in the garden and moving on to the proper sport.

'It is all about having fun and I am sure that all the children will enjoy the experience of playing in front of a crowd.'

The Kwik Cricket semi-finals will get the day under way at 10am, with the county sides taking to the field for their first innings at 11am.

The final of the Kwik Cricket will be held in the lunch break before the professionals return at 2pm.

Admission to the KGV is by programme, one per family, costing £3 and all money goes to charity.