Guernsey get all the 'Gs' and avoid Jersey

GUERNSEY have drawn all the 'Gs' in their section of the 2006 ECC European Second Division Championship. The European Cricket Council announced today that Guernsey is in the same group as Germany, Gibraltar and Greece at the Glasgow tournament which runs from 3 to 9 August.

The draw also means that the Sarnians avoid Jersey in the preliminary round, the Caesareans being in the other group in the eight-team contest.

The winners of the two groups face each other in the final.

Guernsey was awarded international status by the ICC after impressive performances against Namibia and Bermuda last summer.

Captain Andy Biggins sees Guernsey as having a good chance of taking the spoils but believes that they should not get complacent.

'It's a bit of a journey into the unknown,' he said.

'We have got to expect to be one of the favourites along with Jersey and be confident but not overly confident.

'We have a very good and versatile squad so it shouldn't impact on us too much when we shuffle things around during the week.'

Greece gained entry into the tournament when they finished runners-up behind Norway in the 2005 European Affiliates Championships in Belgium. The Norwegians find themselves in Jersey's group along with France and Israel.

Gibraltar will possibly be Guernsey's toughest challenge having won the Second Division Championships twice before in 2000 and 2002. In 2004 when the championships were once again held in Belgium, Italy walked away as the victors.

But they are now firmly established in the first division along with Denmark, Holland, Ireland and Scotland and this group will be expanded to six with the top team from the second division.

The first division teams have their own championship in 2008, with the carrot being a place in the 2009 ICC Trophy from which the top five teams automatically qualify for the 2011 World Cup.

With that in mind, GCB chairman Dave Piesing sees victory in this summer's tournament as integral to Guernsey's long-term objectives.

'It's essential that we win the Second Division,' he said.

'There is no second chance: we have got to win it. We really want to be the sixth team for 2008, that's the year before the ICC Trophy.

'We're aiming to be in the ICC Trophy and to do that we need to win this tournament,' said Piesing.

Island manager Dave Hearse remains calm and philosophical about the team's prospects in Scotland.

'It's very difficult to assess their standard, but I'm happy to be in a different group from Jersey.