Griffins pair set for first caps as inter-insular returns to KGV
Two new Channel Islands club champions are in line to make their full inter-insular debuts tomorrow.
Griffins pair Ben Fitchet and Dane Mullen are the uncapped players in the 12-man Guernsey squad named for the 50-over contest against Jersey, which will be the first played at the KGV since 2019.
‘You are picking for a one-off game so you are weighing up a lot of things from local cricket to performances people have put in when in a Guernsey shirt,’ said Guernsey director Jeremy Frith.
‘Fitchy has been playing Premier League cricket in London, which is a fantastic level, and performing well, as well as doing well in the Island games he has come in for this season.
‘He is a key part in the way we want to play our cricket.
‘Dane has always done well in local cricket, the key bit is does what people do in local cricket translate onto a higher level and Dane bowled well in the Hampshire Academy games, he did well against the MCC and he then did really well against the Dutch A side, who had guys who are looking to go to the World Cup.
Hear more ahead of the inter-insular on this week's Guernsey Press Sport Podcast
‘He rocked up and bowled his 10 overs, taking 1 for 40 in both those games and you cannot ask for much more.
‘All the questions he has been asked, he has come up with the answer and he thoroughly deserves it.’
Interim Island captain Matt Stokes will lead the side for the first time against Jersey in this format and Frith reiterated his skipper’s statement after the recent T20I success against Germany of wanting the players to back their ability.
‘What we are trying to do is look at the way we play our cricket and stick to the process around that,’ Frith said.
‘As Stokesy talked about, it is about people trusting the process and engaging in the way we want to play.
‘The inter-insular gives you that cup final atmosphere, which is another test of how you can apply your skills under pressure. It is a great day, but for us it is about playing the game and not the occasion.
‘It takes a lot to better Jersey at the moment, but as a simple measure of how we are going, we need to shift that balance of wins and losses against Jersey. But whatever they bring on the day, we have to bring our best and hopefully that will be good enough.’
The inter-insular starts at 11am tomorrow at KGV.
Guernsey squad
Matt Stokes (captain), Lucas Barker, Luke Bichard, Josh Butler, Zak Damarell, Ben Ferbrache, Ben Fitchet, Adam Martel, Dane Mullen, Ollie Nightingale, Tom Nightingale, Will Peatfield.
