Busy Butler targets silverware then golds

His main two sports collide on one of the busiest weekends in local sport for many a year with leather-on-willow taking the immediate priority as the three-match T20I Inter-Insular Cup gets under way this evening in Jersey, before culminating in tomorrow’s double-header at Farmers.

Then Butler will remove his Island cricket captain’s cap to don that of the hosts’ team manager at the Guernsey Table Tennis Centre, which promises to be one of the most competitive arenas in Island Games week.

‘Pretty exciting, pretty busy as well. It’s a tight schedule, but I’d rather be doing both than doing neither,’ he said.

‘We land back Saturday night, about 8.30, I think, potentially a meal out with some of the boys somewhere and then Sunday morning, wake up and head down the centre for what looks like a 14-hour day to start us off in the group stage.’

Butler acknowledges that his side start as underdogs against Jersey in the T20I series, but added that the short format of the game allows one person to make a bigger difference to the outcome and he is encouraging his players to back themselves.

‘Morale’s really good actually. It’s been quite a good year for quite a lot of people so far, which is quite nice going into a big game.

‘We know they’re massive favourites, but we try not to let that affect us really. We try and just go in and play our own game.

‘Obviously, the result is the main thing that matters in inter-island sport, but we’ll have our own goals out of the weekend it should be good fun.

‘We want to still play positive cricket and not worry too much about what they’re going to do.’

He added that having to then switch straight into table tennis mode will give him a nice break from cricket.

‘I quite enjoy the coaching aspect of table tennis.

‘I used to play a bit more seriously back in the day, but now playing doesn’t really interest me as much as coaching.

‘I’m quite looking forward to watching the guys get out there and hopefully bring home some medals.’