Sporting Club quit cricket league

Sporting Club Francais celebrate winning the 2004 island title

Jersey's most successful cricket team over the past decade, Sporting Club Francais, have withdrawn from the island's top flight.

The club has lost three players to retirement and three who have transferred to Caesareans.

Sporting Club Francais secretary Ron Halliwell said: "It is a sad end to a hugely successful side who have grown up and matured together.

"We have no choice but to pull out of the CI and Premier Leagues."

The club has seen skipper Matt Hague retire from the sport along with two other players while David Perchard, Danny Bertram and Jack Waters have all transferred to the new Farmers/Caesareans club.

"We're effectively five people down from last season which only left us with six senior players from last year," all-rounder and former island star Steve Carlyon added.

"Over the last three years we've lost 10 players and haven't replaced them."

Carlyon will now actively look for another side, as will most of the remaining members of the SCF squad.

Because of new Channel Islands league we weren't prepared to go in with five reserve team players

Tony Carlyon

"It was a difficult decision but it's the only decision really. There's just not enough players to sustain six competitive sides in the island.

"Because of new Channel Islands league we weren't prepared to go in with five reserve-team players. No disrespect to them but they would struggle with that standard of competition," Carlyon added.

Sporting Club finished third in Jersey's league last season but dominated island cricket in the late 1990's and the early part of the 21st century.

They were Channel Islands champions in 2001 and 2002 and had arguably their best season in 2006, when they won every game they played and won their last Jersey and Channel Islands titles.

Sporting Club dominated cricket in the island winning the league title 10 times between 1990 and 2006, including a run of six straight titles between 1999 and 2004.

The club was mainly run by Ron Halliwell and Carlyon said he was sorry for him that the first team has folded.

"For the best part of 20 years we've been a very successful club. That's down to Ron because of the time and effort he put into the club and I'm sorry for him."

But Sporting Club will not disappear completely as their reserve team will still play in Division One of the Jersey Cricket League.