Sussex make Guernsey link

Sussex, the Liverpool Victoria County Championship and C&G Cup winners, have entered into a development partnership with the Guernsey Cricket Board.

Guernsey will receive regular coaching visits from the Sussex professional coaching staff and there will be reciprocal visits to the Sussex Academy.

Guernsey will also benefit with advice on developing their own National Academy and there will be opportunities for Guernsey's age group sides to play regularly against the Sussex district representative age group sides.

David Piesing, chairman of the Guernsey cricket board, said: "Guernsey cricket has high aspirations to be successful in international cricket and we will benefit enormously from the wisdom and experience that Sussex can pass on to us.

“This will help us to create a sustainable development infrastructure for our leading players in all age groups to achieve their full potential.

“Exposing our elite players and age group sides to regular competition of a high standard on the mainland backed up with monthly winter visits by Sussex Academy coaches can only help to accelerate the development of those players, as well as aid the development of our own coaches.

“English county cricket provides the sole opportunity for players from the European region to take up a professional career in the game and we are already seeing a stream of Irish, Scottish, Dutch and Danish cricketers securing English county contracts.

“Guernsey has already produced one home-grown county cricketer in Lee Savident at Hampshire, and hopefully Tim Ravenscroft is already close to following in Lee's footsteps.

“This is first-hand evidence that coming from a small island need not be an obstacle to a professional cricket career if the talent exists and if it can be properly developed at the key age groups."

Keith Greenfield, Sussex cricket performance manager added: “Sussex CCC and the Guernsey Cricket Board have enjoyed a good relationship for a number of years and we are delighted to further strengthen it with this new and exciting initiative.

“The aim of Sussex has always been to promote cricket, to ensure a thriving future and this agreement will definitely go towards this.

“And hopefully the partnership between us will enable Guernsey youngsters to potentially fulfil a career in first class-cricket with Sussex or become a very successful player in enabling Guernsey cricket to progress up the International Cricket ladder.”