THE red and green halves of the Channel Islands will renew their cricketing rivalry this weekend, as Jersey head to Guernsey for the CBO 50-over inter-insular clash.
The one-day contest is set for a 10.30am start on Saturday at the KGV Playing Fields, a familiar hunting ground for both sides, home to many fierce battles over the years.
Jersey will travel with a 14-man squad, looking to defend their crown in the longer white-ball format after last year’s convincing display on home soil.
While T20 matches have dominated the calendar in recent seasons, the 50-over inter-insular retains a special place in both islands’ sporting heritage, dating back to the 1950s and often regarded as the “original” format of the rivalry.
Coach Paul Hutchinson is looking forward to the test: “It’s going to be a decent game, it’ll be decent competition. We played a 50-over game over in Holland the other week which was a good game, so it will be a decent challenge for us.”
With a blend of experience and emerging talent, Jersey’s squad is brimming with top-class cricketers, notably Asa Tribe is back in the squad after missing the last inter-insular and there is a debut for the explosive batsman Ed Giles.
Hutchinson is excited about the introduction of Giles: “Anybody who has watched any domestic cricket in Jersey for the last couple of years will see that he offers a different way of striking the ball. He hits the ball as cleanly as anybody in world cricket.”
All eyes will be on the likes of Nick Greenwood, the Wellington Firebirds professional who continues to be a potent weapon in red, as well as the in-form Charlie Brennan, who recently struck an unbeaten century against the MCC while representing ICC Europe.
Pace-bowling depth has long been a talking point in Jersey cricket, and the inclusion of exciting teenage quicks may again bolster the Island’s attack, alongside more seasoned campaigners.
Jersey captain Chuggy Perchard is pleased with the squad selections: “It’s a really exciting squad we’ve got this time around. Asa Tribe is available which is massive for us.”
“He’s a class act and the experience he will bring into the group, along with Nick Greenwood, who’s a professional cricketer in New Zealand, is invaluable for us.”
Perchard continued to discuss their performance in early June at Grainville: “Honestly, we were a little bit disappointed with how that series went. We do see ourselves as being better than Guernsey, and for us to narrowly get over the line, we were disappointed with the quality of cricket played.”
Nonetheless, Perchard is confident in his side: “Throughout the course of the summer, we have peaked and kept getting better.”
“We had a great time at the T20 World Cup qualifiers in the Netherlands, and played some really good cricket there, and we’re hoping to continue that momentum into this weekend.”
Hutchinson echoed his captain’s confidence: “I always fancy our chances with the squad that we’ve got. We’ve got a pretty competitive squad. It’s a real blessing to have Asa back with us, it’s great that he has the desire to come back, so adding him into what is a pretty decent squad is a real benefit.”
Guernsey, meanwhile, will be eager to bounce back after a challenging T20I Tri-Series earlier in the summer, where Jersey claimed a 2-1 series win on Sarnian soil. But with home advantage this time around and a number of promising young players in the ranks, they’ll be no pushover.
Led by skipper Ollie Nightingale, Guernsey’s side is expected to include power-hitters like Tom Nightingale and Matt Stokes, as well as the dependable hands of Josh Butler and Zac Damarell.
On a ground that can favour aggressive strokeplay, the hosts will be aiming to post a big total and put Jersey under pressure.
As Jersey are the travelling side this time, Guernsey will boast the home-field advantage. Perchard is prepared for the challenge: “They can have a bit of a hostile crowd sometimes. Certainly a few years ago they would get quite vocal and noisy.”
“It’s going to be important for us to silence the crowd a bit. The best way to do that is to put in a really strong performance.”
Hutchinson remains confident despite the away following: “They have a decent following and there will be a good atmosphere at the game, the pitch plays differently to the ones in Jersey, but as long as we’re switched on and play our best cricket, we’ve got all bases covered.”
The longer 50-over format means a different approach for both sides. Perchard explained the difference in preparation: “The brand of cricket you’ve got to play is a little bit different for both bowlers and batters. It is more about patience and discipline, it’s a longer game of cricket, seven hours of hard work as opposed to three. The best team will come out on top.”
Looking past this weekend’s fixture, Jersey are hosting the CWC Challenge League fixtures, which are in the same format.
Perchard said: “The inter-insular is good preparation for the challenge league tournament that we’ve got coming up on home soil. Having a big competitive game in the same format will be a really good sharpener for the squad, but obviously, all eyes are on the prize for us on Saturday, of bringing the trophy home.”
Hutchison thinks that the format favours the travelling side: “I think a few of our boys are set up for the slightly longer format, Asa is playing the longer format professionally, Josh Lawrenson likes to knock it around, Harrison Carlyon hits a very clean ball, the whole batting order likes to bat for a good period. So I think it’s a good format for us.”
The fixture is not just a standalone showpiece but also acts as a crucial part of both sides’ preparations ahead of key ICC pathway events, with spots still up for grabs and plenty for selectors to consider.
Jersey Squad: Chuggy Perchard (c), Charlie Brennan, Harrison Carlyon, Jake Dunford, Ed Giles, Patrick Gouge, Nick Greenwood, Josh Lawrenson, Will Perchard, Theo Pullman, George Richardson, Julius Sumerauer, Asa Tribe, Zak Tribe