Shaw’s pair of aces turning up trumps

CRICKET: SHAW captain Steve Whiston has saluted the impact of Ryan Senior and Andre Milan on the eve of their Saddleworth and District Cricket League top-of-the-table clash against Bamford Fieldhouse.

Milan, the club’s overseas amateur, and paid man Senior have hit the ground running at Holebottom Clough.

The new boys have played their part with both bat and ball, and joined forces to steer Shaw to an emphatic derby success over Heyside.

South African Milan took four for 38 and scored an unbeaten 68 in a third-wicket stand of 148 with former Woodbank player Senior (79 not out).

Whiston said: “They’ve both fitted in really well. If you hadn’t seen them before, you would think they had been here for years.

“Ryan has created a real buzz about the place. You could see how much it meant to Ryan after we beat Heyside.

“He is a winner and Andre is just the same. Andre was recommended to us by Gordon Parsons, a former first-class cricketer in this country who is now coaching in South Africa.

“Gordon has been absolutely fantastic for Shaw. He also highlighted our overseas amateur last season, Nick van den Burgh, and he was a great success.

“We looked at 20 overseas players, but after talking it through with Mark Stafford (Shaw president), my vice-captain Gareth Harrop and Gordon, we plumped for Andre and he hasn’t let us down.”

Shaw will be without opener Francis Sutherland and Mike Small for the contest against a Bamford side stung by their LCB Cup second-round exit at the hands of Ramsbottom on May Bank Holiday Monday.