Red Rose star Clark has an Edge with Alderley
JORDAN CLARK may be featuring in all three formats for Lancashire, but the all-rounder insists his experiences in club cricket are just as invaluable at keeping his performances ticking over.
The 25-year-old utilises any free time he can turning out for Alderley Edge in the Cheshire Premier League, starring with 541 to help bundle Urmston out for just 93 last weekend.
He followed that up by donning the Red Rose in one-day cricket, taking 2-37 against Derbyshire as Lancashire got their One-Day Cup campaign back on track.
And far from being burnt out by the requirements, Clark continues to relish the opportunity to develop his game having turned out nine times for his club so far this term.
“It’s good to get the volume of overs under your belt, the club game is a very different environment to professional cricket, but it helps just to get out there and bowl,” he said.
“I just want to improve as much as I can really, I am taking it as it comes and just trying to get those overs going.”
It’s a move which seems to be paying dividends for Clark, taking 8-21 against Neston in May and averaging around ten with the ball in the league this term.
After a smattering of stunning white-ball performances earlier on his career – notably scoring six sixes in an over in a second XI clash – Clark has recently developed a new-found consistency.
“There’s no point thinking about that white-ball form when you switch back to the four-day stuff, they’re completely different skill-sets and different games – it isn’t worth comparing,” he added.
“When you’re playing a fourday game and you have a bit of time, it helps to keep you grounded if you can get away and take your mind off the cricket.
“I took up guitar about a year ago, I was into music and it’s some- thing I wanted to do for a while.
“If you get too worked up about your game it can be detrimental, so it helps to have something to take your mind off it.”
While Alderley Edge maintained their lead in Cheshire, Northern regained theirs in Liverpool & District with a comfortable 115-run victory over Birkenhead Park.
But defending Northern champions Morecambe slipped to another defeat, rooting them to the table’s foot while Lee Hodgson’s outstanding 169 not out helped league leaders Marske retain their place at the top of the North Yorkshire & South Durham table with an emphatic win over Great Ayton.
Tom Steele struck an unbeaten century and took a five-wicket haul for Longton, with their commanding victory over Moddershall closing the gap on J G Meakin to 30 points in North Staffordshire & South Cheshire.
Kibworth kept up their defiant 70-point lead atop Leicestershire & Rutland with another win, this time overcoming struggling Leicester Ivanhoe by five wickets, while it was a similar story in Bradford as leaders Hanging Heaton recorded their tenth win of the season with victory over Lightcliffe.
Bracebridge Heath extended their lead in Lincolnshire to nine points with a 20-point win over Bourne as second-placed Sleaford failed to bowl out Boston.
But it is getting tighter in the North East as third-placed South Northumberland beat leaders Newcastle to reduce the gap at the top with Chester-le-Street in second to just seven points.
Both Robert Gibson and Ben Walker notched up tons as league leaders Havant swept New Milton aside in the Southern Premier, with Teddington squandering their lead at the top of Middlesex as they could not chase down 103 at home to North Middlesex.
Finally, Rohit Jagota hit an unbeaten 100 to send Roffey top in Sussex, while Cuckfield’s Jordan Silk continued his fine recent run with 126.