DAVE HEARSE has named three changes to the Guernsey team that faces Israel today. The island side endured two large defeats over the weekend at the hands of Germany and Greece in the ECC Division Two Champ-ionships in Glasgow.

Out go Jamie Nussbaumer, Stuart Bisson and Kris Moherndl to be replaced by the Optimists duo, Mark Jefferies and Steve Queripel, who join fit-again Matt Oliver back in the ranks.

Keeper-batsman Oliver, who has been a big player for the island side over the last few years, missed the Greece game with a stomach bug.

He is also suffering from tonsillitis but a visit to the doctor on Sunday has put him back on the right track.

Oliver was certainly missed in the Guernsey batting line-up that collapsed to 131 in the Greek game.

‘It was just a virus and he looks fine this morning,’ said Hearse yesterday.

‘He likes playing so he wants to come.’

Nussbaumer will hand back the gloves to Oliver after he had a difficult game behind the stumps against the Greeks. The 19-year-old struggled particularly with the spin of Gary Rich on a wicket that offered excessive turn.

Bisson will feel hard done by in his demotion after the Rovers seamer did not feature at all with the ball in the last match.

Queripel replaces him after performing well with his nagging medium pace against the Germans on Saturday.

Optimists opener Jefferies is given another chance after he got a duck against Germany and Moherndl, the young quickie, is rested after his wayward performance when he came on against the Greeks.

Having finished bottom of group one, Hearse’s men now have two matches to ensure that they are not relegated to the third division. This after the Sarnians had gone into the competition as one of the favourites to win promotion to the top division.

‘We’ve got to win,’ said Hearse.

‘They need to apply themselves. They’ve got to learn how to play in a tournament.

‘We’re not going to beat on anyone but they’ve got to learn. Now we’ve got to stay in Division Two.’

Vice-captain Stuart Le Prevost echoed his manager’s sentiments.

‘I think coming to a tournament like this where it’s quite intense – playing five matches in seven days – it’s been a learning curve,’ said the Cobo man.

‘It’s frustrating to lose but the machine has not been running very well. We know where it’s gone wrong.

‘We haven’t applied ourselves and it’s our chance to put it right now.’

Israel have also had an up-and-down competition so far. Their first match with Jersey was cancelled when a secure ground could not be found in Glasgow to host the match.

On Saturday they lost to Norway by 91 runs before they got the better of France the next day.

Due to security reasons, Guernsey’s match with Israel is being played at RAF Lossiemouth on an artificial wicket.

Hearse believes this will play into his team’s hands.

‘We’re used to it: we play on it every night in the evening league,’ he said.

‘We’ve got some flat-track bullies.’