‘He knows what it is to win trophies’ says skipper on new signing

SOUTHPORT and Birkdale skipper Chris Firth was a contented man this week after he had clinched the signing of Firwood Bootle’s Chris Cunningham.

The 28-year-old offspinner becomes Firth’s first signing of the close season and the Trafalgar Road captain hopes at least a couple more will follow as he seeks to build a team capable of holding its own in the ECB Premier League.

“The focus now moves towards recruiting a couple of batsmen but Chris is a really good signing and I’m already excited at the prospect of bowling in tandem with a spinner of proven quality,” he said.

“Chris is a very good bowler and we’ve been looking to sign someone who will enable us to have spin on at both ends when conditions are right. He’ll bring a lot of experience and he knows what it is to win trophies.”

S&B supporters need only cast their minds back 14 months to realise the truth of Firth’s assertion, In September 2015 Cunningham was a member of the Bootle side which won the Lancashire Cup and his four wickets for 19 runs against Littleborough earned him the man of the match award in a memorable final at Blackpool.

It is that sort of hardedged competitive instinct that Firth will be hoping his new signing will show at Trafalgar Road where Cunningham’s experience will be vital for a team likely to contain a number of younger players.

“Chris is joining S&B from a club which already boasts a tough, winning mentality, and that’s a quality we’ve not had for a while,” he said.

“When we got relegated two years ago we rolled over too easily and I think adding Chris to an attack which already includes Andy Warhurst, Chris Brownlow and myself means we have four bowlers who are going to give absolutely everything.”

For his part, Cunningham admitted that it had been a “massively difficult decision” to leave the club he had joined when aged just nine but that he was now looking forward to playing his full part at Trafalgar Road.

“It is an opportunity for a new challenge for me and a chance to put my stamp on the Premier League,” he said “At Bootle I was part of a very strong squad and you don’t always get the opportunity to showcase what you’ve got.

“Giving up the prospect of playing against different players and on new grounds in the national knockout and Lancashire Cup was one of the biggest sacrifices I’ve made. I’ve left a club with considerable kudos and one which is well regarded in the Competition and area.”

“But I now have the chance of going to Southport, where I will be playing a bigger role to play and shouldering more responsibility.”