WATCH: Dig This - Guernsey’s U19 cricketers go on the road to compete and learn on the international stage

Guernsey aims to make the most of the opportunity to compete against some leading nations in a bid to make the U19 World Cup.

A team of players, some as young as 15, are on the road to play against Denmark, Jersey, Netherlands, Scotland and Sweden across three venues in Forfarshire in Scotland.

It has been described as a huge opportunity for the team, one where sporting and life lessons will be learnt.

“We've got to make the most of it, traveling up to hopefully sunny Scotland, playing on some lovely pitches, playing some really good opposition, and it's five games away from what could be something really remarkable,” said Guernsey Cricket coach Philip Smith.

Guernsey have been playing some competitive warm-up matches, but developing the depth of opposition they face and the range of fixtures is something cricket is looking to build on.

“What we've been trying to instill in the squad that we've selected is just deliver world class basics. So don't try and do anything over the top. Don't be too fancy with your skills. Just back yourself to do the basics at world class level.. go in with maximum effort, I think we do stand a chance of being pretty competitive.”

Working on mindset throughout the age groups is something that has been cited as key.

“Can we get them trying to deliver to the best of their ability, rather than just turning up and expecting to go through the motions and just being there for the sake of being there with their mates? 

“I think if we can start doing that then hopefully it transcends outside of the cricket world as well. So do the best of your ability at cricket, and then start thinking about how you're looking after yourself, in terms of physically, your mental wellbeing as well.”

Smith describes something of a generational change being seen in the approach to the game.

“The lads that we’re taking up to Scotland, it's incredible to see most of them do personal training. They've got personal trainers. They go to the gym. They are athletes. I think this is probably in global cricket as well. It's a sport that's developed. 

“You now have to be an athlete to play at some of the top levels, rather than turning up, play and then have a beer after the game. We're trying to instill that gradually. It's never going to be an overnight fix. It has to be through the generations and age groups, as new players come through, that we are trying to change the culture slightly.”

Guernsey will be up against it in Scotland. 

But they have experience of coping with losses and learning from them, with the players being empowered to come up with solutions.

“As a coach, you can't constantly give all the answers, even though you think you may know them. 

“The development comes from asking the players, ‘what went wrong here, what did you do?’ Well, what do we learn from that? So that's certainly what we're trying to do at Guernsey cricket, is put a little bit more responsibility on the players to think about the game, think about how they're responding, reacting to situations. Think about areas where they need to develop and learn and really, really put it on them to kind of come up with the answers themselves, just to take that personal ownership and responsibility.”

The tournament is a 50 over format, meaning plenty of time in the field to stay mentally alert. 

“I'm not one to just sit there and go, let's enjoy it as our minimum standard. 

“No, let's deliver a world class basics, as well as enjoying it, as well as being really intense in our efforts and just just delivering everything you can to the best of your ability, which hopefully, again, expands in the lads’ lives outside of cricket. 

“Hopefully there's some lessons that they can learn from this tournament where they're not just applying it to cricket. Most of them have either just gone through GCSEs or going through A levels, going off to uni. So there's a little bit of life development and life skills in here as well that hopefully we can, we can impart into the kids.”

Just a solitary World Cup berth for the tournament taking place in Zimbabwe and Namibia early next year is available to the table-topping side from the tournament. 

ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Europe Qualifier

Thursday, 31 July

Jersey v Denmark – Strathmore Cricket Ground

Sweden v Scotland – Arbroath Cricket Ground

Netherlands v Guernsey – Forfarshire Cricket Ground

Friday, 1 August

Denmark v Netherlands – Strathmore Cricket Ground

Guernsey v Sweden – Arbroath Cricket Ground

Scotland v Jersey – Forfarshire Cricket Ground

Sunday, 3 August

Guernsey v Scotland – Strathmore Cricket Ground

Netherlands v Jersey – Arbroath Cricket Ground

Sweden v Denmark – Forfarshire Cricket Ground

Monday, 4 August

Sweden v Netherlands – Strathmore Cricket Ground

Scotland v Denmark – Arbroath Cricket Ground

Guernsey v Jersey – Forfarshire Cricket Ground

Wednesday, 6 August

Jersey v Sweden – Strathmore Cricket Ground

Denmark v Guernsey – Arbroath Cricket Ground

Netherlands v Scotland – Forfarshire Cricket Ground

All matches will start at 11:00 (AM) local time