CI Championship looks wide open

THERE will be some very intense battles when the KPMG CI Club Championship kicks off this weekend. Each of the eight teams will go into the competition fancying their chances of taking the top prize in domestic club cricket with every one of them having their own match winners.

The standard and danger is emphasised in the fact that the 2004 Guernsey and Jersey champions - Rovers and Sporting Club Francais respectively - both qualified as their island's lowest ranked team this time around.

'It is pretty hard to pick the four semi-finalists,' said GCA weekend officer Dave Piesing.

'It is looking wide open and it is going to be very competitive.'

The Clubhouse Optimists captain agreed with Piesing.

'It all looks reasonably tight,' said Mark Jefferies.

'Sporting Club, historically, have been the best Jersey side on weekends for several years and now they are fourth, so there has been quite a turn around.

'They are still a good side though, and we have got to play them on Saturday. Traditionally, they are our big rivals so we will certainly be up for the game.'

Jefferies added that although it will be tough, he is in no doubt that his side can win the CI title providing they maintain current form.

'I have got a lot of confidence that on paper we still have the best side in Guernsey and we transposed that team on paper onto the field.'

Optimists will also face Romerils and PKF Wanderers in their group.

The other pool will be made up of defending champions Total Cobo, C&W Rovers, Caesareans and newly crowned Jersey champions Old Victorians.

OVs captain Chris Jones was delighted to get his hands on the title again after waiting a decade since their last triumph.

'It's been a very good season. I think we have deserved to win the title because we have been the most consistent team,' he said.

'We have a lot of young lads and I think it's better for them to be relaxed and to focus on their own games. They play to a good standard and they have delivered.'