Round up of club professionals

ASHTON: Fourth from bottom last season, the Rayner Lane side have a new professional in Ben Johnson, a West Indian who once played as an amateur at Crompton.

CLIFTON: Hendro Puchert helped the team to fifth in 2010 and the South African returns to spearhead the challenge.

HEYWOOD: Regular challengers for honours, the Crimble outfit have recruited South African all-rounder Farhaan Behardien as their paid man.

LITTLEBOROUGH: Will be looking for another big season from pro Clinton Perren, who amassed 1,813 runs last summer.

MIDDLETON: South African Michael Smith was their deputy pro on several occasions last season, earning a contract for 2011.

MILNROW: Last year’s Wood Cup winners and league runners-up will be relying on new pro Raheel Majeed, an opening batsman and leg spinner who played for Bacup last season.

MONTON AND WEASTE: Paul Green scored 1,330 runs for Monton last summer and the paid man will be expected to produce another big haul.

NORDEN: High up in the batting and bowling averages for last season’s champions, South Africa’s Michael Price is a tip-top professional.

RADCLIFFE: Solid, if unspectacular last season, Radcliffe have retained the services of all-rounder Anwar Ul-Haq.

ROCHDALE: Luke Woodcock, a member of the New Zealand World Cup squad in 2011, is the new paid man for last year’s third-placed club.

UNSWORTH: Pace is the name of the game for Unsworth, who have secured South African fast bowler Jonathan Fowler — the overseas amateur at the club last season — as their pro.

WALSDEN: Disappointing in 2010, Walsden will be hoping for better things this time, especially from retained paid man Duminda Perera.