'Cage' game for juniors

GUERNSEY junior cricket is exploring new and exciting avenues. Development coach Jason Shambrook has revealed the itinerary for an under-15s tour to play competitive indoor cricket - the first trip of its kind for a Sarnian team.

The side will play at Willows Sports Centre against Derby under-15s on Saturday 12 March and the next day at the John Birch Centre in Nottingham against Notts under-15s.

It will be the first time Guernsey has played the Australian version of indoor cricket, which is an eight-a-side pairs game and played within a netted 'cage'.

'The game is huge is Australia and New Zealand and also popular in places such as Sri Lanka and South Africa. It is a good opportunity to try something different, something we have never done before,' said Shambrook, who used to play in the National Indoor League for Wellingborough.

'It is a very quick game. The score has to change within three balls otherwise you lose a wicket, the ball is never dead so it is possible to run when the bowler turns his back and there are overthrows.

'What you really need is people who can nudge the ball around, people who can bowl and people who are athletic because the fielding is really sharp. There is a lot of patting the ball at the stumps and flicking it rather than throwing because you haven't any time.'

Following the arrangement of the tour, the British Indoor Cricket Association have also invited Guernsey to enter a men's team in next year's British Open.

More immediately, Shambrook and his fellow coaches will be tied up with an extensive winter programme that has seen him send out information to 330 children.

'It is 24 hours a week, outside of school time, running for three months,' he said.

'Basically, every single person on our database can come to cricket during that period starting on 10 January. But there is not too much for anyone either, because it is still out of season.

'It is due to the volunteers in Guernsey cricket that we are able to put on such an extensive programme,' Shambrook added.

Meanwhile, Shambrook has confirmed that the island under-17 squad will be touring Holland and Belgium from 14 to 20 July and has also announced several more exciting opportunities for young local cricketers.

Guernsey's under-11 will be involved in a six-team tournament that will run throughout next summer.

They will travel to England at the end of May for games against South Wiltshire and East Devon before playing the New Forest and Dorset in Jersey in August. The under-11 inter-insular will also count towards the tournament.

The under-15s' fixture against first class county Worcestershire has been confirmed for Saturday 7 May and the following day they will get to play at the famous Sir Paul Getty ground at Wormsley Lodge in the Chilterns.

Traditionally, visiting Test sides have played at the ground and it was there that a Brian Lara six was caught by former island player Phil Roussel.

Guernsey's opponents will be South Northamptonshire who will include some under-15 county players.

Shambrook is also investigating the possibility of an under-15 tour to France in August and is lining up games against the French under-15 and under-17 sides.