Cricket clubs set for start of new league season
THE 2017 season of the Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket League gets underway on Saturday (April 22) with five local teams hoping to be in with a shout of the league title.
Loughborough Town finished runners-up to Kibworth last campaign and open up this season with a trip to the defending champions, giving them an early indicator as to how their season might unfold.
Sileby Town will entertain Barkby, Barrow will play host to Leicester Ivanhoe while Kegworth Town will be at home against Rothley Park after winning promotion from Division One last season.
The form of Australian Brent Williams was key to Kegworgh’s promotion charge as he scored a total of 1,314 runs for the season at an average of 93.86 to break the league’s run record of 1,245 set by Newtown Linford’s Dean Scaysbrook a year earlier
Williams is back at Kegworth for this season as vice captain as the club bids to build on the success of last season back in the top flight.
In Division One, Newtown Linford and Cropston will no doubt be amongst the clubs challenging for promotion with Newtown Linford just missing out last season in third place.
They open up their season away to Houghton & Thurnby, while Cropston make the journey to Leicester Banks. Other fixtures see Loughborough Town 2nd XI host Kibworth 2nd XI and Sileby Town 2nd XI travel to face Langtons.
In Division Two, Loughborough Carillon face an opening day trip to Narborough & Littlethorpe while in Division Three, Shepshed start their second ever season away to Countesthorpe and Mountsorrel Castle are away at Leicester Caribbean.