The Knox group of companies is delighted to announce that it has pledged financial support for the Isle of Man Cricket Association’s tour of Guernsey that will take place from 17th to 22nd August. The Isle of Man development and high performance cricket squads have taken advantage of the travel bubble with the channel island and organised matches with their Guernsey counterparts in an inter-island cricket festival that will include matches for the Under 13,15,17 squads as well as T20 international matches for the National team. Schedules see the Under 13 and 17 squads fly out on the 17th playing in a combination of T20 and 50 Over matches over the course of Tuesday and return on Thursday. The return leg to Guernsey sees the plane pick up the Under 15 and National squads who then play a combination of 45 Over matches and T20s with world ranking points at stake.
The original 2020 schedule organised for the cricket calendar had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The opening of the air bridge between the two islands gave the cricketers the perfect opportunity to get some invaluable match experience as Greig Wright, Isle of Man Cricket Development Officer and High Performance Coach, explained “The opportunity created by the air bridge was one we couldn’t pass up. With the cricket missed this year at overseas festivals and World cup qualifiers all players and supporters were keen to take the opportunity to play in Guernsey. The work from people in both countries has made this possible. We are very much looking forward to playing some really good cricket now.”
Mike Haywood, IOMCA Chairman said “Organising a replacement event for all the squads at relatively short notice has been no easy task. The financial support that the Knox group of companies has pledged means we can quickly bring together plans for the Tour and helped our squads keep their focus on training so that they can fulfil the nation’s expectations. I am also pleased to announce that the Knox group of companies will be the sponsors for all senior leagues in 2020. Having the Knox group of companies involved with our domestic cricket programme along with their support for the excellence festival is a real bonus, cricketers of all levels will benefit from this support ”
Tim Eve, Deputy Chairman Knox group of companies commented, “It is a privilege to be able to offer support to enable this Tour to take place. Squad members have put in significant effort and commitment throughout the winter months. The opportunity to play at the highest level and participate in a cricket festival is payback for their hard work. We are very much looking forward to continuing the relationship with the sponsorship of the senior leagues over the course of 2020.”
Douglas based Knox group of companies has a strong involvement with the Isle of Man sporting community having previously collaborated on the IoM Sporting Excellence Programme as well as individual sponsorships of promising young sports stars keen to develop their sporting careers.