The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Nassington are all out while Wisbech are quietly confident
Peterborough Telegraph cricket writer ALAN SWANN looks ahead to the new season.
Nassington have been forced to withdraw from Division One of the Cambs League on the eve of the new season.
The villagers have decided that due to the loss of a number of key players they are no longer strong enough to compete at that level.
Club stalwart and committee man Bill Taylor said: “The Nassington 1st XI have had a very successful number of years with a young team, most of whom came up through our junior teams.
“But a number of them have recently taken jobs away from the area - Alex Laud in Birmingham, Alex Bandaranaike in Manchester, James Pope in Newmarket and Tom Norman in Nottingham. Plus Conor Craig joined his brother in trying to get noticed by Northants by playing in the Northants League for Oundle.
“Despite sterling efforts to recruit new players of quality, we have had to, very reluctantly, accept we do not currently have the playing strength to compete at the higher level. The modern trend for players to want paying to play has made it very difficult for clubs to recruit good players if they cannot afford to pay them.
“We will continue to put teams into the Hunts League and the Rutland League and attempt to rebuild with a lot of very talented teenagers.”
Eaton Socon, who have recruited heavily in new talent including paceman Joe Dawborn from Peterborough Town, could be among this season’s frontrunners along with Wisbech Town, Ramsey and Foxton.
Wisbech are quietly confident of improving on last season’s third-place finish, especially as champions Ketton have moved across to the Leicestershire League.
The Fenmen have two overseas players – one has an English passport – with allrounder Wian Pretorious arriving from South Africa and left-arm seamer Liam Barker flying in from Australia.
Successful off-spinner Chris Clark is also back after a handful of seasons away from the game.
“I always fancy us to be there or thereabouts,” Wisbech captain Gary Freear said. “But this could be a great season for us.”
Ramsey were runnersup last season, but have lost key men in Taylor West (gone to Birmingham) and James Markland (gone to Australia). Their prospects could depend on some late recruitment.
March finished in the bottom two last season, but avoided relegation due to a restructuring of the league.
They should do much better now that former stars Callum Young and Shardul Brahambhatt have returned.
Division Two side Castor have pulled off a high profile signing with former Peterborough Town and Cambs superstar Dominic Ralfs commiting for the summer.
Ralfs (50) has been playing darts for the same pub team as Castor skipper Reece Smith and should be a great mentor for the club’s talented teenage seamers Aiden Steels and Stuart Dockerill.
It will be tough for Division Two clubs though as further Cambs League restructuring means only one team will be promoted and four will be relegated to the new Division Three in 2019.
Ufford Park are under the captaincy of Ross Keymer this season and he thinks his side can challenge for the title, while Hunts League champions Stamford will be competing at this level for the first time (see page 114).