Stokes to take on the touring Kiwis

Largely on the back of his superb showing for St Cross Symondians in the Southern Electric Premier Division last weekend, the all-rounder is included in a Hampshire XI that takes on The New Zealanders in a 50-over game at the county ground in Southampton.

Stokes will come face to face against players of Test experience and who will form the bulk of the Kiwis side who play England in an upcoming Royal London one-day series, but are not required for the Headingley Test which starts today.

Stokes' selection is further testament to his performances with both bat and ball and 24 hours later he is back on duty for St Cross Symondians in the highly competitive SEPL which, this weekend, features three Guernseymen.

Lee Savident, who played in the league for many years during his spell as a Hampshire cricketer and afterwards, is in the Burridge CC side and will have a familiar face alongside him in the face of the Guernsey captain Jamie Nussbaumer, who makes his debut.

All told, the island will have six of its leading players in league action on the south coast over the weekend.

Over in the Sussex Premier League, Max Ellis plays for newly-promoted Middleton, while Lucas Barker is in his second season at Brighton and James Wilkes-Green is playing for Preston Nomads.

• More in today's Guernsey Press.