Le Prevost steps into the skipper's big shoes

STUART LE PREVOST has been named as the new island cricket captain. The popular 29-year-old Cobo skipper follows in the footsteps of Andy Biggins who, after five successful years at the helm, stepped down at the end of last season.

'I'm chuffed and it's a nice honour to do it,' said Le Prevost.

'To be honest, I've been vice-captain for the last three years so I think they've been grooming me for the job. It's going to be hard to carry on from Biggsy because he's set such high standards.'

Since making his inter-insular debut in 1997 aged 19, Le Prevost has played against Jersey 10 times, winning five and losing five. A man for a crisis, his aggressive right-handed batting has baled Guernsey out on a number of occasions.

Possibly the best example of this came in 2004 when, coming in at number seven and with Guernsey 71 for five, his unbeaten innings of 53 off 39 balls carried the greens past Jersey's total of 145.

With Guernsey now fully immersed in the world of international cricket, Le Prevost believes that is where the island side's priorities lie.

Le Prevost and his team will be looking to gain promotion to the European first division to join the likes of Holland, Ireland and Scotland at the next European championships in 2008. Guernsey cricket is also benefiting from a link with county champions Sussex.

'The main aim is the next ICC tournament in two years,' he said.

'Of course, it'd be nice to win the next inter-insular as well. It's five in a row now so it'd be good to win six.

'We've got some great cricketers and we've got some good youngsters coming through as well. Hopefully with Sussex on board, we'll keep going in the right direction.'

Island coach Dave Hearse was full of praise for his new man.

'He's a proven captain with his club,' he said.

'He's a winner, he's been around the squad for a long time and hopefully the success will stay. All things considered, he's the right man for the job and he has the respect of the players, which is important.'

Hearse also announced that he will continue as the island coach until the end of the 2008 season.

Since taking over the reins from Pete Vidamour in 2003, he has enjoyed great success against Jersey, having won every inter-insular. But despite this great record, it was a less-than-satisfactory performance by Guernsey during last summer's European Second Division Championships in Glasgow that has led him to continue in the role.

The Sarnians went into the tournament as hot favourites to gain promotion to the first division, but after losing to Germany and Greece, they ended up having to fight off relegation, which they avoided after beating Israel.

'There was some disappointment,' Hearse said.

'We didn't give a full and proper account of ourselves. There's some unfinished business and I'd like to think we're going to go to the next one and give it our best.'

Next season the island team are due to face the MCC before going to Jersey in July to take on the Caesareans and France in a triangular tournament.

The inter-insular follows on Saturday 11 August in Guernsey and a Twenty-20 match is also organised against Jersey as a warm-up for the Gloucester and Worcester match at the KGV on Saturday 29 September.

Holland and Denmark's second XI or under-23 teams could also be on the way to the island, and there is a possible tour to Morocco after the season has finished.

Hearse is looking forward to the challenges ahead after he had a long think about continuing in the role.

'We've got some interesting and challenging cricket coming up,' he said.