Guernsey to face Holland A challenge

GUERNSEY will face one of their hardest challenges to date when they play the Holland A team in the summer. The island side will take on the Dutch in a three-match limited-overs series at the KGV. It has been sponsored by Fortis Guernsey and takes place on Wednesday 23, Thursday 24 and Friday 25 May.

'It's absolutely fantastic because we first thought their under-23 team were coming over,' said island manager Dave Hearse.

'It's a sign of respect that they feel we're strong enough to give them the test that they need. They've obviously seen our results against Scotland under-23s, Namibia and Bermuda and despite us not performing to our best at the European Championships, they perhaps realise that it was not a true reflection of our standard.

'We're excited about it and it fits in well with our preparations for next year's European Championships.'

In next month's World Cup in the West Indies, Holland are in Group A with world champions Australia, South Africa and Scotland.

'The KNCB is extremely grateful to the Guernsey Cricket Board and Fortis Guernsey for making this three-match series against Guernsey's national side possible,' said the KNCB's manager of cricket, Roland Lefebvre.

'With our national team participating in the 2007 World Cup in West Indies, it is essential that our A team players get the right exposure.

'Looking at several retirements after this year's World Cup, it is most likely that some of the A players will get the opportunity to prove themselves at the highest level.

'This series could be a very important test for them.'

The chairman of the Guernsey Cricket Board, Dave Piesing, is also excited about the matches.

'This series follows on from the home series against Bermuda in 2006 and the games in the UK against the Scottish Academy, Bermuda and Namibia in 2005 which were all arranged to expose Guernsey's best cricketers to high-quality international opposition ahead of Guernsey's first foray into European tournament cricket,' he said.

'Cricketing links have already been established between Guernsey and Holland through two of our age-group sides having visited there in the last couple of years and from one of the Dutch age-group sides having visited Guernsey in 2006 and it will be fantastic to see their senior A side here as well.

'We are extremely grateful to the Fortis Group for kindly agreeing to sponsor the series as this has ensured that it could go ahead.'