Youth set for SA test

GUERNSEY will embark on a ground-breaking development tour to South Africa later this year. A squad of players aged between 13 and 18 will travel in October for a 10-day trip to the famous cricketing nation from which the England side has just returned.

'I can confirm that it is definitely on now that we have sufficient players,' said tour organiser Dave Nussbaumer.

'We initially invited 24 players and we have had some say no, but we have got 12 definites at the moment. I am waiting to hear from a couple of others.

'Monday 28 February is the deadline for replies so we could possibly have another two or three.

'I have been delighted with the response and it is sure to be a great opportunity for those able to come. At the moment we have 34 people going in total, including officials and parents.'

The party will fly out on Thursday 20 October and will be staying at a safari resort in Pilanesburg National Park, near Sun City, for the first four nights.

During their time there, the development team will play their first match of the tour against Rustenburg.

There follows a couple of days in Port Elizabeth where they will face Kingswood College from Grahamstown before the group moves on to Cape Town for their final two fixtures.

Whom they will play there has yet to be confirmed, but it is likely to be local school sides.

The team manager will be Jon Ravenscroft, whose son Tim will be the youngest player in the party. The oldest will be Andy Orme.

'I went on tour to South Africa twice with the Normandy Nomads and with my connections down there, it followed that, after making enquiries, we could do it and wanted to do it.'