<
>

Jersey and Guernsey players grounded

Most cricketers will take it for granted that they can get from A to B for their matches, but for the players of Jersey and Guernsey it is not looking that simple this year.

The two Channel Islands have a healthy rivalry in all sports - including cricket - but the transport options between them have now become limited after the airlines which fly the short route, Blue Islands and Aurigny, agreed a codeshare deal which, in effect, means there are half the number of flights now available and the timings mean it will not be possible for the teams to make the trip to either island in a day.

The annual match between the champions of each island - Upton of Guernsey and Cobo of Jersey on April 26 - could be the first fixture to pay the price. Another option may have been the ferry, but the timetable for that has also been changed which leaves the players scuppered unless an agreement can be reached.

"This year the boat option's not available so it's purely flights and we can't get what we want," Mark Latter told BBC Radio Jersey. "Sport is a good proposition, there's a lot of people playing sport in the islands and I would guess there's a huge capacity taken up in the summer. As a long-term passenger proposition we think we're a very good investment."

The chief executive of Condor Ferries, James Fulford, made it clear cricket was not a priority. "Our main job is to get islanders where they want to go and if I was to take a ferry off from taking Jersey people down to St Malo because I wanted to take 20 cricketers somewhere I don't think they'd be happy," he said.