Hearse: 'We can beat the Scottish'

DAVE HEARSE has high expectations for Guernsey's historic trip to Scotland this weekend. The island manager is delighted to have his 'big guns' available for the three matches against Scotland XIs and emphasised that there are several potential match-winners in his squad.

'I seriously believe we can win some games,' Hearse said.

'It is very difficult to gauge the quality of opposition, so I am going only on the quality of our team, but cricket can turn on the contributions of two or three people and we have got the quality of player to turn games.

'Obviously, the whole ethos of cricket is that it is a team game and the support you get from your team is vital if you are going to succeed. In that respect, if we want to do well, everyone has to work together - from the XI on the pitch to those players not involved and the management team.'

The work the island squad has done since November should ensure that it will be well prepared for its Scottish test although Hearse admitted that Guernsey's domestic cricket could have got off to a better start this season from his players' perspective.

'They are a lot fitter from a physical point of view,' he said.

'The big concern is the lack of cricket they have had because of the weather and also the lack of quality cricket they have had - there have been too many easy games so far.

'The best test of their ability they can get at the moment is in our squad sessions.'

The Scotland sides will be made up of national B-team players as well as

age-group representatives from under-19 and under-21 levels and all three fixtures will be played at the country's renowned ground, The Grange, Edinburgh.

Matches will be played to normal ICC 50-over one-day international regulations.

That means that Guernsey, for the first time, will be wearing their own coloured kit, which Hearse said 'looks fantastic'.

'Obviously, we have got a limited budget and cannot afford £50 per shirt like England, but it is another new, exciting development for us.'

With fixtures against Namibia and Bermuda still to look forward to as well as the annual match against the MCC, the Scotland trip is the start of a busy and significant season.

Hearse wants them to hit the ground running in Edinburgh.

'This is a big occasion for Guernsey as we are going towards international cricket.

'Our over-40s and under-17s visited Scotland last year and we said at the time it was important to start building links with other ICC nations.

'We got off to a good start and those connections are progressing this weekend.'