New European Series will kick-start 2021
EVENING cricket’s premier sides will get exposure across the cricket world in an exciting new annual competition.
At the weekend Guernsey Cricket Board and the European Cricket Network announced plans for this year’s Evening League champions to be invited to ECL22 – the Champions League of European Cricket – after the GCB signed a long-term partnership with ECN, ‘an agreement to increase opportunities for clubs, players and umpires’.
And with the short, sharp 2020 season just a few days away, GCB chief executive Mark Latter has released further details.
‘The deal with European Cricket Network is that we will have what they call a European Cricket Series likely around Liberation Day [2021] which will be a five-six day competition played by the EL1 sides as a side competition to EL1 with separate winner etc. That will all be screened live.
‘Then the 2021 EL1 will determine the Guernsey club champions to play in the 2022 European Champions League.
‘We may well stream some of the league games in 2021 on our own Guernsey Cricket YouTube channel or in partnership with ECN.’
Before then GCB are looking to stream the EL1 double header on Saturday week, 4 July as they practise more with systems.
Those games, featuring Optimists against Independents and Wanderers/Rovers v. Cobo, ECN might also take on their channel.
Next week will feature six top-flight games, starting from Tuesday when defending champions Cobo play Optimists, who are back in Division One. Latter is as excited about the prospect, as the players are.
‘There are a number of players still on island who might not have been around ordinarily which makes the squads look strong and I am sure the appetite to play now is stronger than ever.’
In the background Odey Wealth have extended their support for local cricket to include the Weekend League programme for 2020.
Latter added; ‘Shaun and Geoff at Odey Wealth have been amazing supporters of the domestic game so for them to keep that support going in these trying times is superb.’
Shaun Le Messurier, director at Odey Wealth, said ‘Sport brings the community together and no sport does that better than cricket’.
