Guernsey ICG Cricket Team Profile

Team for the day: Jonny Orme, Hannah Mechem, Mark Latter, Jason Shambrook, Matt Hamilton, Paul Williams, Ian Langlois, Paul Oliver, Rob Hutchinson, Nathan Hodder, Rupert Williams

Guernsey cricket has flourished over the last decade to the extent that earlier this summer, the Island hosted its first World Cricket League tournament. During August 2008, the Island also hosted European Division 2 with Guernsey narrowly losing to their bitter rivals Jersey in the final.

All of this progress is heavily linked to the Island’s excellent development programme. This starts with the GCB’s coaches visiting Junior and Secondary schools throughout the year, to the Island representative age group squads, starting from the Under 10’s and finishes with the Senior team. This structure has helped the Island establish a playing database of nearly 500 kids under the age of 14.

The adult divisions currently have over 40 teams playing 20/20 cricket and 16 teams playing 45 over cricket on a weekly basis. With a vast number of kids starting to join the adult leagues, the competitions can only swell with numbers and become more popular in the future.

With Guernsey cricket becoming possibly the major sport on the Island, it offered an opportunity for a private venture called the ICG (Indoor Cricket Guernsey) to open earlier this year. This facility provides every cricketer with the opportunity to train and socialise in one of the best indoor facilities in the UK. With 9 nets & 2 playing courts, teams can practice their skills before the season starts or take part in the fast paced Australian version of Indoor Cricket.

Possibly one of the most important aspects of Guernsey cricket is the commitment of the GCB & ICG coaching team to providing quality coaching along with a fun environment to learn in. All of these attributes allows Guernsey to progress all the time, continuing to provide great opportunities to local sportsmen and women now, and in the future.