New arrivals promise super Drakes season
the Halifax League, but Robinson says they feel they’ll be competitive.
“Our goal is to remain in the top division and do as well as we can,” he said. “We’re looking to push for the top three to seven positions, that’s what we are setting out to do.”
Almondbury Wesleyan have been boosted by the return of Kiwi all-rounder Freddy Walker, who was part of their promotionwinning team in the Jedi Sports Championship.
He was second-top run-scorer with 883 at the magnificent average of 98.11 and third in the bowling rankings with 53 wickets at 17.42.
Wes, who will be led again by Will Binns, have also signed Joe Lumb leg-spinner Musa Ahmed, who was with Bradford League Batley last season.
“We’ve basically got all the lads who brought us up plus Musa, because we remain essentially an amateur club,” said Wes rep Mark Binns.
“We have spent a lot of time over the years investing in bringing young players through our system, so our first team is basically made up of those lads and we want to see how far we can go.
“We know it’s another level, but we have some very good village cricketers and they are all ready for the challenge.”
Defending champions Swaine have lost Gharib Nawaz to Scholes, Max Joice to Shepley and Shakir Muhammad to Delph, but they have recruited powerfully in all departments.
Brayden Clark has joined from Townville to open the batting, while two players have been signed from Cheshire CCC – keeper Sam Johnson and all-rounder Iftikhar Nasser.
Aaron Lilley from Delph, who is now with L eicestershire CCC, has signed for the club, who also expect to have Alex Lees available for part of the year.
Swaine’s overseas player this season is Pakistan B bowler Waqas Maqsood, who was with Delph last season and part of their treble winning side in 2016.
The 31-year-old from Faisalabad plays for Water and Power Development Authority and is a left-arm quick.
He has 255 first-class wickets to add to 63 List A and will spearhead the Haigh Lane attack.
As mentioned, the prolific opening batsman Nawaz has made the move to Scholes, who are aiming to be back among the contenders despite losing Tom Chadwick to Shepley.
Joining him in the Chapelgate line-up is Northern Districts’ Joe Carter, fresh from setting a List A world record of 43 in one over with Brett Hampton.
In each of his full seasons with Scholes, Carter has won the league batting prize and he scored a century in their Sykes Cup final win two years ago.
Also playing the whole season, and taking the wicketkeeping gloves from brother Brad (34 victims last term), is Yorkshire’s Ben Birkhead, who was also in the Sykes Cupwinning team.
Honley finished second last year and they have also strengthened. A familiar face back in the camp from Harrogate is Eddie Wilson, who has been among the runs in preseason, while two allrounders have been added in Archie Greaves from Shepley and Mel Benito from Leeds University. Greaves will challenge to open the bowling, while Benito is a batsman who bowls occasional seam.
The fourth arrival is Jack Hebden from Townville, a left-arm bowler with decent pace who will help replace Kiwi Brett Randell, who has been with the club for the last two seasons.
Shepley, third last year, have recruited from up the Holme Valley by bringing in Chadwick from Scholes.
He took 43 wickets last season but is expected to open the batting at Marsh Lane, where Max Joice bolsters the middle-order after joining from champions Swaine, where he also had 18 victims as wicketkeeper last summer.
Like Honley and Shepley, Broad Oak also finished on 108 points last season in an excellent fourth position.
The Oak have Signed Alistair Finn from Elland to join brother Dom and are hoping spinner Daniel
We have some very good village cricketers and they are all ready
for the challenge