Island's top cricketers return to action
THE home of Guernsey cricket hosts its first game of the summer tomorrow – later or earlier than expected, depending on how you look at it.
But there is no doubt that the island’s best players will be grateful to return to action as the bailiwick enters phase four of the exit from lockdown and although they are bound to be rusty, just getting the chance to blow the cobwebs away at the KGV is seen as a bonus.
Guernsey coaches Andy Cornford and Olly Tapp have selected two T20 sides, captained by Josh Butler and Jason Martin respectively, for the occasion and the game, which starts at 11am, will be streamed live on the Guernsey Cricket Facebook page and the score can be followed via cricclubs.com.
‘The players will be wearing their club colours so that they are not sharing kit – it will be Barbarians-esque,’ Latter said.
Since the Guernsey Cricket Board submitted their own paperwork to the relevant island authorities on how they could stage a game within the guidelines of the exit from lockdown framework, the International Cricket Council have issued their own Back to Cricket Guidelines.
Both cover the same aspects, with tomorrow’s game being covered by the ‘Resumption of Domestic Professional Cricket’ section of the ICC guidelines with any necessary local States regulations ‘trumping’ it. The guidelines include not using saliva to polish the ball, regular hand sanitising and maintaining social distancing.
‘A lot of what is covered by the guidelines is in relation to what happens before and after the game in terms of arrival at the ground and avoiding use of changing rooms etc.,’ said Latter.
‘The actual game itself is hardly going to change because very rarely do the players come into physical contact. In cricket, nine of the 22 players are not on the pitch anyway.
‘Of course, there won’t be any high-fiving of wickets, for example, and players are going to look after their own kit rather than handing it to the umpires.’
TEAMS
Olly Tapp’s XI: Tom Nightingale, Jason Martin (capt./wk), Nick Hutchinson, Ben Ferbrache, Nathan Le Tissier, Luke Bichard, Will Peatfield, Tom Veillard, Matt Philp, Charles Vorster, Jordon Martel.
Andy Cornford’s XI: Lucas Barker, Zak Damarell (wk), Josh Butler (capt.), Jamie Nussbaumer, Ollie Newey, Luke Le Tissier, Dan Le Messurier, Ant Stokes, Matt Renouf, Nic Buckle, Kieran Le Gallez.
