Hurray! – Cricket is well on the mend

But as the natural sadness of another summer’s sport having slipped by takes hold, at least those at the Guernsey Cricket Board can console themselves on a job well done – and how often have they been able to say that in recent years?

Cricket hit back in 2018.

All three evening divisions went the distance and were darn good competitions.

Given a fair summer the CI League was a real triumph, even though Cobo should not have stooped to pull in Tom Nightingale for the final.

And Ash Wright’s T20 island side achieved promotion to European Division One in fine fashion.

It’s been a seven out of 10 season and after the five of last year and two of 2016, that’s another big step forward in my book.

Of course, not everything is right, and how can it be when players can still turn out at all three levels of the game in different club colours any given evening?

But, overall, the main summer team sport is being patched up and there is more than just a ray of light at the end of what was a very dark tunnel only a couple of years back.

The decision to give young Josh Butler the Island T20 captaincy did not backfire, as sceptics such as myself feared.

The ‘Kid’ took everything in his stride and is fast becoming a player of real quality, displaying a maturity beyond his years.

Let’s just hope he is not burned out by responsibility at 27.

Butler was one of the outstanding performers of 2017, most of whom turned out in Cobo colours.

Zak Damarell was explosive with the bat and that innings of 113 as Cobo rattled up 313 in just 29 overs before sending the College schoolboys crashing for just 76 made for the most amazing game of the summer.

Matt Stokes was consistently superb, too, and Tom Veillard made great strides, but if I could choose one player who stood out above the rest, it would be Will Peatfield.

The transformation in his game and, more specifically, approach to it, was remarkable.

By a country mile he was the island’s best quicker bowler and there were some useful innings thrown in too.

2018 saw the emergence of a player Guernsey cricket had long harboured hopes for. Well done, Will.

Club wise, Cobo won the lot, an achievement that was both impressive but at the same time commensurate with the depth of talent at their overall disposal.

I just wish they had not played Tom Nightingale against OVs last weekend.

Whatever the Seagulls camp say, it was not needed and not within the spirit of the game I like to see played.

GUERNSEY football’s first female club president has unexpectedly stepped down.

Zoe Lihou’s sudden departure from Rangers came just two days after heading the Rangers club party for their Baker Cup/Priaulx League clash in Alderney.

It seemed odd that she should depart so early into the club’s 125th anniversary year and her resignation statement offered no indication as to why, merely a self-appraisal of her successes which I gather continued on BBC Guernsey.

It would seem, though, that a parting of the ways had been on the cards as her popularity rating within the club reportedly dipped.

Clearly, though, in 30 months at the helm the club has picked up and last season the senior side enjoyed unexpectedly good times and clubhouse facilities improved significantly.

On top of that, the reach into the St Andrew’s parish expanded and the first installation in the parish of a defibrillator, at the clubhouse, is praiseworthy, as is the move to greater utilisation of the KGV.

As she said, ‘the successful long-term plan to hold future training sessions and league fixtures on the 3G and grass surfaces at the KGV playing fields has secured our ability to offer as much football for as many Rangers as possible’.

Indeed, that has been a positive move and if it was her promptings and mission to see that through, the lady deserves some credit.

Inside Track understands the identity of the new president of the football section will be Guy Hardill.