Cricket’s back in action!
pect from Chester-le-street.
“The club has also signed Kashif Ali, a first-class quick bowler from Rawalpindi in Pakistan. Jamie Dass has returned to full fitness and will play a significant role this year with bat and ball. The club are excited to go into the new campaign with a talented squad, with plenty of options. A top four finish is the target in what will be a very competitive league this year.”
TEESSIDE SPORT NORTH YORKSHIRE & SOUTH DURHAM ECB PREMIER LEAGUE
Champions Saltburn have retained much of the first team squad from last season.
Skipper Sam Berry said: “The only major change is overseas all-rounder Husnain Bukhari who joins us from Thornaby, replacing Vishant More. This adds to a core of local lads including team of the year representatives Ben Ainsley, Lucas Parry, Liam Crooks and Jack Almond, who won NYSD Player of the Year last season.
“We have also retained the services of Leicestershire all-rounder Tom Scriven for the season, when his county schedule allows.
“After winning the league in 2023, the first team are looking to back that up with another strong season. We also managed to reach a cup final last year, so we would love to go one step further and add a cup trophy.”
Richmondshire skipper Rob Carr said: “We have our overseas professional Shafiqullah Ghafari returning from 2022, for this season and he took 100 wickets in 2022. We’ve also added a left-arm spinner called Caleb Bradford from Longridge in the Northern Premier League. These additions should give our bowling attack some added spin variety and quality to complement our three very good seamers. Connor Blaxall-hill, our Aussie amateur from last year doesn’t return due to playing state second XI cricket over the winter.
“We are focused on bringing the league back to Richmondshire this year after two second-placed finishes, and although the league looks at its most competitive season, we want to make sure we start strongly and focus on finishing top.”
Barnard Castle have made a couple of new signings for the season. Skipper James Quinn said: “Our first signing is Eddie Barnes – a right-arm fast opening bowler and middle order batsman. Eddie actually signed for us a few years ago, but unfortunately for us he got contracted by Leicestershire which meant the deal fell through, we are extremely happy to announce that Eddie has signed for us after being released from Leicestershire. He will bring a real aggressive edge to our bowling attack as well as being another powerful middle-order batter.
“Our second signing of the winter is overseas professional Sean Whitehead - Sean is from South Africa and is currently contracted by the Warriors, he’s a slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler and a top/middle order batter. The club are also happy to announce Karl Carver is staying for the 2024 season, Karl is without doubt one of the best English Professionals in club cricket.”
Quinn added: “As a club we know we’ve slightly underachieved for the pasted two seasons. Our second team have done really well to bring home silverware in the hundred ball competition but we’ll be looking to fight on all fronts in 2024.”
Stockton have gone for an all English qualified side for 2024. Veteran spinner Leigh Beaumont said: “Two new English players have been signed, in Tom Hewison and Adam Hickey. Both players have a good pedigree and plenty of Premier League experience. Tom is returning to where it started for him, and the squad is full of home grown players.
“Another veteran Richie Waite and Leigh Beaumont continue for another Premier league season. The club will look to improve on our 8th place finish and a reputable nine wins last season.”
Darlington skipper this season is Liam Coates and he said: “We have the same team as last season and I’ve taken over as captain and Mohammed Saad is returning as our overseas professional. The team will be a balance of experience and exciting young players, which we hope will be the catalyst of developing a strong team for years to come.”
Middlesbrough skipper Jonathan Spillane said: “We have re-signed the same professional as last year and Alfie Taylor-clarke from Great Ayton, plus James Skelton from Malton & Old Malton. A lot of work has been done on the ground pre-season and our realistic expectation are to build on the 2022 league win and the 2023 first half of the season. Second half of the season was a bit disappointing last year and we fell away and we would love to win a cup.”
Hartlepool are set to go with youth this season, according to skipper Gareth Shaw: “We have just signed Matty Maloy and dual registered a lad called Angus Catto from Durham university for the first six games. We’ve got a really young squad so hoping for top half of the table and something to build on for next year.”
Stokesley have signed overseas professional Antum Naqvi and skipper Jonathan Weighell commented: “He looks an exciting prospect that we hope can be a genuine match winner for us with his explosive batting and crafty off-spin. No other new signings, but looking to build on last year’s midtable finish, hopefully push higher towards the top half of the table, and you never know if we get a good run going and some confidence up, who knows where we could end up.
“We got to three cup finals last year and never managed to bring home any silverware, so would love to go one better this year and get our hands on a trophy.
“Opening bowler Harry Pierson is back after a winter playing in Australia, so hopefully he’ll hit the ground running this season after an impressive first year last season. Fin Morris took 50 wickets in all competitions last year and will be a vital asset to us having a successful season this year.”
After winning promotion and the prestigious Kerridge Cup last season, Marton skipper Ben Hutchinson said: “We have signed an overseas left-arm spinner from Afghanistan in Zohaib Zamankhail and its his second time in England, after playing for Liverpool last season. We’ve retained the same set of players from last season with no one leaving, so our aim after being promoted is just to be as competitive as we can be and maintain our status in the premier league after suffering relegation two years ago.
Normanby Hall were promoted alongside Marton and they have signed a Pakistan professional called Usman Salahuddin. Club official Neil Hutchinson said: “He’s 33, a batsman and has played one test match and two one-day internationals and has played UK club cricket for several seasons. Dominic Leech will play when his Yorkshire CCC commitments allow and Matthew Brown a top order batsman, has arrived from Seaham Park in the NEPL
Hutchinson added:
“Danny Clark has left to return to Thornaby and
Rameez Nawaz has moved to Marske, with the rest remaining the same as last season. I guess realistically our goal will be to stay in the Premier
League.”
READERS DURHAM & NORTH EAST CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
In the Readers Durham & North East Cricket League, South Shields manager Anth Marshall said: “We have three university players playing the first half of season to cover our lads who are away. Jack Hall, Joe Lewis, Will Park and in addition Pakistani opening batsman Waqar Ahmed is the overseas professional. Other than that, it’s pretty much as it was last season with a good blend of homegrown players and we’ll just see how the season pans out!”
Littletown skipper Paul Cassell said: “We have signed Indian professional Shubham Kharat and we have also signed Rob Kempson from Burnopfield. Dan Pearson has returned to the club from premier league club Philadelphia and we expect to challenge in the top half of the league and are pushing to win cups, having got to a number of finals days in the past few seasons.”
Tudhoe skipper Danny Hardaker said: “We have a few new players in Ian Grainger, Danny Thexton, James Curry and our overseas amateur is Jack Sweeney. After promotion last year, we are hoping to compete at our highest level throughout the season and cement our place in the division.”
DIVISION TWO
Boldon CA skipper Rob O’brien said: “We have signed an Australian overseas, in Jack Mcdonald. He is an all-rounder and we have signed three new players not including the overseas; Adam Rayner,
Jack Cumersdale and Alex
Cole. We really want to be competitive and play really good cricket in the right way and let’s hope that sees us win games.”
Horden’s
Adam Dixon said: “We have no professional again this season, but we have strengthened the club with the signings of talented all-rounders Paul Woodroffe from Wearmouth and Simon Moralee from Esh Winning. We also welcome youngster Josh Wilson from Murton and Rahul Patel and Raghul Selvam, who have joined the club having not been involved in cricket for a couple years. Ambitionwise, the club are looking to build on last season with the first team targeting a top five spot.”
Evenwood skipper Rhys Peairs said: “We are unchanged from last season apart from Thomas Teesdale, who has left to go to Mainsforth and our overseas amateur Ben Evans is from Victoria, Australia.”
Solanke 16 Kluivert 36
Fernandes 31, 65 (pen)