County champs take us under their wing

GUERNSEY have joined forces with county champions Sussex. In a major coup for local cricket, junior and senior island players will benefit from regular visits by the county's top coaches and from sessions at Sussex's academy in Hove.

This year, Sussex did the double by winning the Liverpool Victoria County Championship and the C&G Trophy.

'It's absolutely huge. We couldn't have linked to anyone better,' said the chairman of the Guernsey Cricket Board, Dave Piesing.

'It's a big thing and lots of people are taking notice. The European Cricket Council have said that they want European countries linked with counties,' he added.

Guernsey gained international status last year and July saw them involved in the European cricket second division championships in Glasgow.

'Guernsey cricket has high aspirations to be successful in international cricket and we will benefit enormously from the wisdom and experience that Sussex can pass on to us,' said Piesing.

Having outgrown their junior links with minor county Wiltshire, the island's outstanding development programme has been rewarded with the Sussex connection.

'This will help us to create a sustainable development infrastructure for our leading players in all age groups to achieve their full potential,' said Piesing.

'Exposing our elite players and age-group sides to regular competition of a high standard on the mainland backed up with monthly winter visits by Sussex Academy coaches can only help to accelerate the development of those players, as well as aid the development of our own coaches.

'English county cricket provides the sole opportunity for players from the European region to take up a professional career in the game and we are already seeing a stream of Irish, Scottish, Dutch and Danish cricketers securing English county contracts,' added the GCB boss.

Having produced one home-grown county cricketer in Lee Savident, Piesing and the Guernsey Youth Cricket Development Committee have high hopes for a second with Tim Ravenscroft set to join the Hampshire academy.

'This is first-hand evidence that coming from a small island need not be an obstacle to a professional cricket career if the talent exists and if it can be properly developed at the key age groups,' said Piesing.

The Sussex cricket performance manager, Keith Greenfield, is also excited by the agreement.

'Sussex and the Guernsey Cricket Board have enjoyed a good relationship for a number of years and we are delighted to further strengthen it with this new and exciting initiative,' he said.

'The aim of Sussex has always been to promote cricket to ensure a thriving future and this agreement will definitely go towards this. And hopefully the partnership between us will enable Guernsey youngsters to potentially fulfil a career in first-class cricket with Sussex or become a very successful player in enabling Guernsey cricket to progress up the international cricket ladder.'