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Promotion for Jersey's U15 and U17 cricketers
Andy Bradshaw, Jersey Evening Post
JERSEY and Guernsey under-15 and under-17 cricketers will mix it with the 'big boys' in the International Cricket Council's European Division I next season.
In an unprecedented move, the ICC European Cricket Committee, in which representatives from Europe's 27 ICC member countries finalise next year's European tournament schedule, have increased - on a trial basis - the 2008 ICC European U17 and U15 Division I Championships from four to six-team tournaments for the first time since the championships began in 1999. Until now only the four European High Performance Program (HPP) countries - Denmark, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands - have been allowed to compete for the U17 and U15 Division I titles, but following the summer's success of the Channel Islands' sides it has been decided that they will be included in these two top division youth tournaments in 2008. Jersey Cricket Board director Chris Minty said: 'This decision has been made on the back of some excellent results this year in European tournaments and it's very good news both for Island cricket and the players. 'We will now be able to play against stronger countries and that will test everyone and help them develop quicker. I'm delighted that the ECC have seen the standard we play at and that they have recognised it. 'In the age groups several of the U15s who played this summer are eligible for the same age group next year while a couple of the U17s also played in the U19 group so they have the experience of playing international cricket already.' Jersey also found out at the meeting, held in La Manga in Spain late last week, that they will host the U15 Division I tournament in late July or early August next year. Minty added: 'I'm extremely happy with that decision too. It shows the ECC have total confidence in our ability to host a tournament and we look forward to what I'm sure will be another fabulous week of cricket.' Jersey Cricket Board vice-chairman Ward Jenner attended the La Manga meeting as a representative for the European Division II nations. Jenner said: 'The ECC delegates review and make decisions on future tournaments, together with looking at discipline, locations and budgets and they were intensive days from 9 am to 5 pm each day. 'It's fantastic news for both Jersey and Guernsey that both have been put into U15 Division I and I'm sure that the move will add more value to and give the islands more competitive games. 'The islands had excellent backing from the Division III nations as they were more aware of our standard as we played against them in Scotland in Division III last year. 'The 2007 season has been a learning curve for our junior teams and Jersey and Guernsey have done very well, resulting in trial six-team tournaments in 2008 for the first time at U15 and U17 levels. 'There is no doubt that the step up to play against the likes of Ireland, Scotland, Holland and Denmark will be a big challenge. Scotland and Ireland have great development programmes in place and Jersey and Guernsey's players will be under pressure to perform well. 'Players will have to work hard and remain focused and look to win games. If they can do that they may well earn the right to be in Division I on merit and that I'm sure will be each age groups' aim. 'Jersey being awarded the U15 Division I tournament next year is rewarding news too, the European nations are very pleased to have us on board and it's now up to our players to work hard throughout the winter and prove their worth next summer.' This summer Jersey won the U19 and U23 Division 2 Championships and they were runners-up to Guernsey in the U15 Division 2 Championship. Both sides did not lose a single match, other than to one another, in any of the competitions and many of the victories over the other countries were so large that the gap in standards between the sides was very apparent. The U15 and U17 Championships will be the first real test to see how the development of the youth in both islands compares with that of the HPP members and it will be interesting to see how newly-elected ICC Associate Jersey and Affiliate member Guernsey perform at this higher level. Jersey will now host two tournaments next summer, the World Cricket League Division V in June and the U15 Division I Championship in late July or early August.
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