Family keeps sake

Jamie Symonds with his father Dave.

THE art of wicketkeeping goes hand in glove with the Symonds family.

While dad Dave is the man behind the stumps for Glodwick seconds, son Jamie is the man in possession for the club’s high-flying first team.

At 16, he is the youngest ’keeper in the Saddleworth and District Cricket League’s top division.

He has impressed many watchers, although neither Greenfield’s Adam Hayes or Mike Moore were too impressed last Saturday as both were stumped by the teenager.

Seven days earlier for the seconds, he held an amazing seven catches against Friarmere. That bettered Barry Buck’s effort of six for Flowery Field in 1962, which is detailed in the records’ section of the 2014 league handbook.

Glodwick skipper Nigel Stock said: “Jamie is excellent and pretty fearless for someone who is not so big.

“He is comfortable standing up to Rehan Rafiq, our professional. Rehan gets the ball to turn and rise sharply, but that doesn’t bother him.

“Jamie is alert, vocal, and confident. He is developing into a very good ’keeper.”

The former Crompton House pupil has been promoted to first-team duty because of the unavailability of Adam Brown.

Brown is a physio with Sky Bet League One outfit Rochdale FC and so is restricted to the amount of games he can play due to his commitments at Spotland.

In his absence, Jamie has stepped up.
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