GCB chief executive Mark Latter, left, and Wave deputy managing director Guy Pipon at the College Field. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0759510)

GCB chief executive Mark Latter, left, and Wave deputy managing director Guy Pipon at the College Field. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0759510)

JAPAN are the first hurdle Guernsey will have to overcome in their bid for Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division Seven glory.

The hosts face the Japanese at the College Field on Sunday 17 May, the opening day of the week-long tournament in which Dave Hearse’s side will also meet Gibraltar, Bahrain, Nigeria and Suriname.

The event culminates in the final and other play-off matches on Sunday 24 May.

‘This tournament is the first stop on the road to the Cricket World Cup 2015 and will be by far the biggest cricket event to be seen in Guernsey,’ said Mark Latter, chief executive of the Guernsey Cricket Board.

The top two sides will then go forward to the ICC WCL Division Six competition to be held in Singapore at the end of August/early September 2009.

‘Now the fixtures have been announced, WCL Division Seven feels even closer and the anticipation is mounting,’ Latter said.