THE Sportingbet Channel Island Athletics Club will be punching above its weight tomorrow as members take on higher-level league clubs at the televised British Athletics League ‘10 in 100 cup final’.

Tom Druce makes a well timed return from a hamstring injury to help the CIAC at the Copthall Stadium in Barnet and he will be competing alongside other key athletes, including Olympian Dale Garland, as well as Lee Merrien and outstanding Jersey throwing prospect Zane Duquemin.

The CIAC beat clubs from seven UK cities and towns in the regional semi-finals to get through to this weekend’s final, in which 10 competitors from each club take part in 10 events in 100 minutes, hence the ‘10 in 100’ tag.

Garland, who will run the 400m and the medley relay, fancies the CIAC’s chances of victory, but is not convinced about the whole concept of track and field’s version of cricket’s Twenty20.

He sees pluses and minuses.

‘It is good in a way that it makes sure every club can get a full squad out,’ he said.

In normal club matches there is a full programme of events and teams are required to fill A and B string events, which many struggle to do.

On the downside, ‘we have got some good athletes missing out,’ he said with those of the quality of Guernsey’s Glenn Etherington and Steve Dawes in mind.

The sport’s administrators hoped that the short 100min. format would pull in many more spectators and make for better TV viewing.

But ‘fewer athletes, mean fewer friends and family going along and fewer people there,’ said Garland.

‘It’s got strengths and weaknesses. But if the final has lots of people turning up to watch, then great, it will have worked.’