Pierre lends a helping hand

Aamir Bashir - check up

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AT A time when many local cricket clubs have been struggling to secure a regular professional, CLL high-fliers Werneth must be feeling rather smug.

Pierre Joubert is the paid man currently plying his trade at the Coppice and his impact in Werneth’s first two wins has been immense.

But the South African is only here as a stand-in for the club’s contracted professional, Roelof van der Merwe, whose arrival in England has been delayed by his success in the one-day arena.

Van der Merwe made an immediate impact after being called up to the South African squad to play Australia in the recent ODI series.

And his performances earned him a place in the Bangalore Royal Challengers team currently competing in the Indian Premier League.

As van der Merwe is a virtual certainty to be selected for South Africa in the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June, he is going to miss a large chunk of Werneth’s season.

But the inconvenience to Werneth has been minimal.

Werneth official Adie McMahon said: “Pierre is Roelof’s captain in the Titans team which has just won the title in South Africa and when Roelof said he could not come over to Werneth because of his other commitments, Pierre said he would fill in for him.

“To be honest, we didn’t have to do anything. They sorted it out between themselves.

“Pierre is very popular with the players. He sees himself as a coach as much as a player and has been really helpful in giving sound advice to a few of the lads.

“He is here for nine games so there will be four or five games when we need a stand-in professional as we wait for Roelof to arrive.”

Werneth’s good fortune is in stark contrast to a number of CLL clubs whose professionals have been hit by more stringent visa and immigration guidelines.

Among them are reigning champions Heywood - Werneth’s opponents on Saturday - whose paid man Ruvin Peiris has still to arrive in this country.

The opening day of the CLL season saw no less than eight deputy professionals in action, while other clubs - including several in the Saddleworth League - have been experiencing similar problems.


IT was pleasing to see Royton blood a couple of their younger players against Werneth at the Paddock on Sunday.

Joe Lovell, son of second-team skipper Guy, is a 15-year-old leg spinner with plenty of potential, while 14-year-old Connor Hey is an all-rounder who is on Lancashire’s books.

Bashir seeks all-clear

THERE was a noticeable absentee from the opening round of matches in the Armstrongs Office Furniture Saddleworth and District Cricket League season.

Aamir Bashir (pictured), the Hollinwood professional, was in Pakistan undergoing a medical check-up.

The all-rounder missed the first half of last season because of illness and was asked to attend hospital as a routine follow-up.

Bashir has a sick note until the end of May, although Hollinwood captain John Winterbottom hopes he will be back a lot sooner.

Austerlands’ new pro Junaid Khan is expected to be available for Saturday’s match at home against Uppermill. He missed the win over Glodwick because of a side strain.

The Thorpe Lane outfit employed KC Jayasinghe as deputy, and the left-arm seamer, who plays in the Nottinghamshire Premier League, did Austerlands proud by taking five for 64.


DELPH made it back-to-back wins in premiership one of the Drakes Huddersfield League when they brushed aside reigning champions Honley.

Mike Smethurst took five for 37 as Honley were bowled out for 149, before Bruce Cruse (54) and Graeme Simpson (49 not out) steered Delph to 150 for three.

Micklehurst have also hit the ground running this season, and they continued their winning start with a five-wicket defeat of Holmfirth.

Quasir Rashid was the hero for the Richmond Hill outfit, scoring 125 in reply to the visitors’ 259 for seven. Rashid was also the pick of the bowlers with two for 25 from 11 overs.

Delph’s second team lost at Armitage Bridge, making 145 for eight in reply to the hosts’ 163 for seven.


SCORES from the first round of matches in the Ashton and Oldham Cricket Alliance are:

Newtonhurst 212-6 (Boyle 80, N Courtney 31 not out, M Boone 29 not out), St Mary’s HC 119 all out (G Lawrence 50, D Ferringham 22, S Drummond 4-29, A Miller 3-4) — outright win for Newtonhurst; Friends 244-4 (Umar 96 not out, Amjid 78), Greengate: 196 (J Phelan 32, J Fairclough 32, Nadeem 5-38, Amin 3-49) — outright win for Friends; Heyside 134 (D Hall 36 not out 20, P Ives 3-11, M Chambers 4-36), Radclyffe 137-6 (M Chambers 50, M Meyrick 39, B Roberts 4-27) — outright win to Radclyffe.

Twenty20 Competition: Foresters: 104-5 (Goodwin 27, M Kazi 23), Europa 105-7 (N Jarvey 52 not out; D Wallbank 2-5) — Europa won by three wickets.


RESULTS from the Site Electrical North Manchester League are:

Saturday, division one – Ashton Ladysmith 232-9, Springhead 236-9; Failsworth Macedonia 198-9, Robinsons 200-7. Division two – Clifton IIIs 91-1, Failsworth Macedonia 90-8; Littleborough IIIs 151-8, Roytonians 148; Saddleworth IIIs 93-3, East Lancs PM IIs 90. Division three – Greenfield IIIs 169, Rochdale Catholic Club IIs 187. Division four – Uppermill IIIs 52-1, Darcy Lever IIIs 50.

Sunday, division three – Elton IIIs 315-1, Greenfield IIIs 129. Division four – Springhead IIs 164, Ashton Ladysmith IIs 184; Walshaw IIIs 133-6, Uppermill IIIs 130.