Next stop Well-i-Hole for Aslam

BACK FOR MOOR . . . Francois Mostert will continue in the role of overseas amateur at Turf Pit Lane.

KEVIN RICHARDSON concludes his preview of the 2014 Saddleworth and District Cricket League season. All the action gets underway on Saturday.



SADDLEWORTH


Captain: Danny Hesford

Professional: Imran Aslam (Pakistan)

Overseas amateur: Mario Boyce (West Indies)

IT’S all change at Well-i-Hole this season. Imran Aslam is on his fourth stop as professional, and the all-rounder’s bowling speaks for itself — 91 wickets last season for Austerlands and 126 victims in Uppermill’s title-winning term in 2011. He replaces longstanding Aussie pro Peter Skuse.

Skipper Danny Hesford also has a new overseas amateur in West Indian Mario Boyce. He is a top-order batsman and bowls left-arm spin.

The experienced Darren Shadford has joined Saddleworth — he was due to sign for Friarmere as pro — while impressive young batsman James Howard is expected to nail a regular first-team place.

Meanwhile, much is expected of bowlers Tom Avery and Michael Brylowski.



SHAW

Captain: John Punchard

Professional: Lerato Kgoatle (South Africa)

Overseas amateur: TBC

CLL veteran John Punchard has been handed the reins at Holebottom Clough.

“This is my first full season in the Saddleworth League, so it’s a new experience,” said the

56 year old.

“We’ve got the same pool as before with the addition of the pro, who should bring some quality to the top of the order.”

South African Lerato Kgoatle is that man and at 20 is one the youngest professionals in the league.



SOUTH-WEST MANCHESTER...

Captain: Khalid Mahmood

Professional: None

Overseas amateur: None

KHALID Mahmood takes charge of South-West Manchester in their first season in the competition.

The all-rounder — he bowls medium and will bat at four — has replaced Najib Ahmad.

South-West are going without a pro or overseas amateur for their debut campaign, but the skipper is predicting a mid-table finish for his side.

Mahmood, who relies on Mrinal Dasgupga and Sajid Mohammed at the top of the order, said: “Up against different players on surfaces we haven’t come across before, is going to be a challenge, but one that everybody is looking forward to.”



STAYLEY

Captain: Ronnie Cameron

Professional: Kamran Hussain (Pakistan)

Overseas amateur: Oral Rankine (West Indies)

A visa problem prevented pro Kamran Hussain playing for at Stayley last season, but it’s all systems go for the Pakistani in 2014.

A well-known figure, Hussain averaged more than 55 with the bat and claimed 63 wickets for the Millbrook outfit two years ago.

Stayley have also signed overseas amateur Oral Rankine, a role he fulfilled at Shaw in 2012.

JP Lee, the former Moorside pro and Bamford Fieldhouse all-rounder, complements the

batting and bowling departments, while Mudassar Butt is sure to clock-up his fair share of runs and wickets. Skipper Ronnie Cameron ought to be looking at a top-five finish.



UPPERMILL

Captain: Dave Roberts.

Professional: None

Overseas amateur: Cloete Buitendag (South Africa)

BATSMAN Chris McDonnell will join former Oldham colleagues Paul Thompson and Matt Taylor at Leefields.

It is a good signing for Uppermill; McDonnell — who has skippered the CLL representative side bolsters a batting line-up featuring overseas amateur Cloete Buitendag for the first time.

Buitendag, at 20 and hailing from Limpopo in northern South Africa, has come here on recommendation of ex-Oldham and Moorside pro Mark Charlton. He is a right-handed batsman and bowls medium pace.

Michael Brooks is back in the Uppermill fold, but bowler Mark Lees has left after moving to Leeds.



WHALLEY RANGE

Captain: Waqas Malik

Professional: None

Overseas amateur: TBC (South Africa)

DESPITE the absence of a pro, Whalley Range members are hopeful of holding their own.

Winners of the Manchester and District Association title last season, Waqas Malik’s side feature a host of young talent.

Abisheik Kulkarni, an opening batsman, is the Lancashire under-16s squad. He scored more than 1,000 runs in junior and senior cricket last season, including a couple of tons.

Whalley Range also have three brothers in their side: Ejaz, Ateeq and Faisan Din.

The former has represented Holland under-18s (thanks to his Dutch father) and is an opening bowler capable of hitting the ball a long way. Ateeq, the youngest at 16, is an all-rounder and Faisan will partner Kulkarni at the top of the order.

Jahangir Abbas is a former Minor Counties player with Cheshire. The right-hander was coaxed out of retirement part-way through last term and scored approaching 600 runs.

Paul Davis has served the club for 30 years and is a regular run-scorer and bowls medium pace.

The club won the second XI title in 2013, so appears to have strength in depth.



MOORSIDE

Captain: Danny Anchor

Professional: Grant Hodnett (England)

Overseas amateur: Francois Mostert (South Africa)

ARMED with one of the strongest line-ups in the Saddleworth League, Moorside are quite rightly one of the favourites for the title.

With the likes of prolific batting pro Grant Hodnett, who averaged 161.6 last season for Bamford Fieldhouse, and impressive all-round overseas amateur Francois Mostert, the Turf Pit Lane club boast two high-quality performers.

Add Lloyd Kingston, Richard Baines, Francis Sutherland, Glen McFadyean and returning seam bowler Lee Warburton, and captain Danny Anchor has at his disposal a team packed with runs and wickets.



WYTHENSHAWE
Captain: Martin Leonard

Professional: Tyler Lortan (South Africa)

Overseas amateur: Ryan Smith (South Africa)

WYTHENSHAWE are the only new club to sign a pro. South African Tyler Lortan (22) is in his second season here, having played for Stony Stratford in the Northants Premier League in 2013, accumulating 997 runs.

A right-handed batsman, he is averaging more than 35 for KwaZulu-Inland in Twenty20 cricket back home, and has a highest score of 77 in 20 first-class innings.

The Northenden club has also acquired an overseas amateur, Ryan Smith. The teenager, 19 this weekend, has attended the Dolphins Academy in Durban and is looking to step up his development with a spell in England.

A leg-break bowler, he is one of four in the Wythenshawe side who are of similar pace and style. The others are Lortan, skipper Martin Leonard and Vaughan Corrie.

Lewis Crowther, Ryan Burgess and Paul Burrell are the medium-fast men.

Jason Warner, originally from New Zealand but now settled over here, was voted by his rivals as the Manchester and District Association player of the year in 2013 after racking up 850 runs.

He will open the innings alongside 25-year veteran Craig McCoy.