WITH the league season now completed it is, I’m afraid to say, that time of year when that unsightly green slime is, once again, a regular visitor to our shores.

Yes, the arrival of that horrible green slimy seaweed so prevalent on St Aubin’s Bay beach, seems to coincide with the completion of the league cricket season, although, of course, the end of the league season also means the NatWest CI knock outs and those other green visitors to the Island.

That would be the Guernsey cricketers of the top four Sarnian sides who come over to do battle with their Jersey counterparts in what is a highly competitive tussle.

Although usually identifiable by their green caps, this year there is another tell tale sign that will help you differentiate between them and their Jersey hosts; green framed Oakley sunglasses, with their owners initials inscribed on them, which has become a part of the ‘Team Guernsey’ uniform.

It is doubtful, however, that the future of the Guernsey sides in this competition is so bright that they have to wear shades as, Cobo apart, they could struggle to get through the group stages of the tournament.

It’s a great competition and gives the two islands a chance to weigh up the opposition and score some psychological advantage before the inter-insular, which this year takes place a week tomorrow at Grainville.

Although this week’s matches are full of intrigue it is impossible not to take a thoughtful peak around the corner to next week’s huge clash, which is still considered the big match between the two islands and even in this day of international competition, one of the biggest games in each island’s cricketing calendar.

For the 1,000 or so of you who enjoyed the ICC final, the inter-insular is usually equally as entertaining, and what better way of spending your Saturday afternoon, or earlier if you like (match starts at 11 am), than having a few beers and a bit of banter with the opposing fans. It’s an experience not to be missed.

Odds for CI knock outs: 5/2 Total Cobo, OV’s, Romerils; 5/1 SCF, 6/1 Wanderers, 10/1 St Ouen, 12/1 Rovers, 25/1 Argyll Investments

Group A
Romerils v Argyll Investments (Grainville):
OK, so Romerils have won back-to-back championships, and fair play to them for doing so, but they have hardly been a major force in this competition, having never progressed past the group stages. Their recent form of two wins from four games is not particularly impressive either, so it would take a brave man to put money on them at their current odds.

A look at the wicket taking tables will give some indication as to why they have been successful, with Ryan Driver well clear of his rivals. Only eight of his 28 wickets, however, came in the last four games and batsmen have been content to fend him off and try to get runs off the likes of Nigel Crocker and Pete Blackburn, which is a slightly easier exercise but, as their wicket tallies show, has been to their advantage.

Argyll Investments are, I think, the renamed Mavericks side that actually beat Romerils in this fixture last year, and went on to be beaten in the final by OVs. They are in the process of rebuilding their side and possess a number of useful teenagers as well as a few old timers, such as Paul Wakeford, and of course Justin Meades who has a few demons to exorcise from last year’s final, as he dropped Jonny Gough, who ended up scoring 151 not out, before he had scored a run. Their only two wins this season have been against Optimists who finished bottom of the league and are therefore likely to struggle against a team of Romerils calibre.
Prediction: Romerils to finally get their CI act together.

Fairbairn SCF v Wanderers (FB 1):
SCF finished the season in style with a nine wicket victory over St Ouen and now face the runners up of the Guernsey League, who have beaten everyone bar Cobo this season. Wanderers have a useful batting line up which has have been bolstered by the arrival of Australian Ben Taylor who is an aggressive opening batsman and left arm bowler, and are captained by Yorkshireman Ben Driver.

SCF can equal them on that score as they have their own Yorkshire man, Phil Rammage, who scored his second hundred of the season last week and, of course, an Australian, Matty Hague. Although they only finished third in the league SCF could easily have beaten Romerils twice and have generally put out a stronger team on a more regular basis than last year.

I’m not sure many of the Wanderers have experience of playing the Jersey sides, they did beat Springfield in the Plate match last season, but will find this tournament a bit tougher, and may lack the bowling to beat the top teams.
This is a vital game for both teams as defeat will mean they will need to beat champions Romerils if they are to progress. I think that SCF’s experience and home advantage could just sway things their way.
Prediction: SCF to send Wanderers back packing.

Group B
Total Cobo v St Ouen (Guernsey):
St Ouen may have only finished fourth in the league but do have a victory over Romerils to their name, and for that reason should not be written off.

The other reason not to write them off is the presence of Dean Morrison in the side.
Although he has only managed six appearances this year, he is the leading run scorer in the league and is probably the most prized wicket at the moment.

He scored 98 not out against Optimists in this competition last year and hopefully Cobo will witness at first hand the type of hitting that saw him score 143 not out against OVs a few weeks ago. He also looks to have found a pretty useful opening partner in Anthony Kay who scored 84 last week on his first game back.
Cobo consist of most of the Guernsey Island side and the locals will not hear of defeat for the champions who are desperate to win this competition again.

They were unbeaten in their league title defence, only dropping four bonus points in doing so, and this is their main target for the season.

They will be keen to erase the memory of last year’s semi-final when they were beaten by compatriots Mavericks, but may find St Ouen a slightly tougher assignment than the league positions would imply. This is probably the toughest group as all four teams have some chance of going through, and whoever loses this match will have the prospect of beating OVs to survive.

I’m going to take a chance on Morrison’s St Ouen causing what would be a shock as they must be considered big underdogs for this match.
Prediction: St Ouen to win battle of the bays.

Rovers v OVs (Guernsey):
Rovers finished third in the Guernsey league, and should not therefore be good enough to trouble OVs, who were runners up in the Jersey equivalent. They do have the destructive GH Smit and Tim Duke, but have not often been able to field a full side consistently and were Optimists only victims of the season.

OVs are, of course, defending champions, but will be without Chris Jones who skippered the side to victory last year, and this year’s skipper Pete Gough.

Not to worry, they have an embarrassment of riches in the youngster department and should be able to negate such absenteeism, and, of course, have the vastly experienced Ward Jenner to stand in as captain. Tipping them to win means that all Jersey teams are predicted to be victorious I know, but even if I thought other wise, I would hardly say so would I?
Prediction: Ward Jenner to steer OVs’ youngsters to victory.

Final League Averages
Bowling
Club Wkts Runs Av
Driver R R 28 172 6
Crocker N R 18 330 18
Parker S S 18 389 22
Waite M R 16 299 19
Carlyon S SC 16 302 19
Gough P OV 13 210 16
Dewhurst A OV 13 210 16
Blackburn P R 13 344 26
Brown A OV 12 210 18
Moyse K SO 12 249 21
Kelly P S 12 320 27
Kemp M C 12 334 28
Batting
Club Runs Ings Average
Morrison D SO 401 5 80
Rammage P SC 386 8 48
Carlyon S SC 378 8 47
Driver R R 374 4 94
Kelly P S 355 10 36
Gorman D C 343 5 69
Gough P OV 331 9 37
Gough J OV 319 9 35
Crocker I R 286 8 36
German P C 269 9 30