PITCHERS could well decide who wins the Guernsey Men’s Fastpitch International Tournament. It has been brought forward to the weekend to avoid clashing with the European Cups at the end of the month.

It will be a truly multi-national affair with players coming from all over the world.

Brasschaat from Belgium and London Meteors from England will battle it out against Guernsey sides NRG Rangers and Mozzies, who will both field guest players.

It was the objective to encourage more teams to use the event as a warm-up for the Europeans and although initial enquiries were promising, the inclusion of the 2007 ISF World Cup event in July in Prague ultimately discouraged a bumper entry.

The World Cup is a one-off fill-in tournament entered into this year’s calendar by the ISF to ensure that an international competition took place, following the decision to move the World Championships away from Olympic year to 2009.

But two World Cup club teams have pledged to come to Guernsey next year along with last year’s winners Radotin from Prague.

Games at the weekend will be played in a double round robin format, with the top two teams meeting in the final late on Monday afternoon.

Each will play seven games.