Brendan ready to take on England

FORMER Werneth CC professional Brendan Nash was today expected to complete an incredible cricketing journey.

Born in Attadale, Western Australia, Nash was strongly tipped to line up for the West Indies in the first of four Test matches against England this winter.

Nash, whose father Paul represented Jamaica at swimming in the Olympic Games, was hoping to make his home debut for the Windies.

And Jamaica’s Sabina Park could hardly have provided a more poignant setting given his father’s background.

Nash moved to the West Indies in 2007 after Queensland, his state side in Australia, did not offer him a contract.

He quickly established himself as a firm favourite in the Jamaica side and, having been given clearance to play for the West Indies last year, he was picked for the one-day team.

The left-hand batsman has already played nine ODIs, averaging just over 26 and providing bowling back-up with his left-arm medium pace.

Nash made his Test debut for the Windies against New Zealand at Dunedin in December and his three innings at the highest level have seen him score 162 runs at an average of 54.

Nash was Werneth’s professional in the 2000 Central Lancashire League season in which he scored 1,029 runs at an average of 46.77. He also took 56 wickets at 20.81 apiece.

Last summer, Nash returned to the CLL as professional for Wood Cup winners Monton and Weaste for whom he had a somewhat disappointing season, finishing in the lower half of the professionals’ lists in batting and bowling.

His personal highlight came in the final of the Wood Cup at Werneth in which his unbeaten 46 against Heywood proved vital to Monton’s cause and earned him the man-of-the-match award.

Nash is one of a number of recent CLL professionals to graduate on to the international stage.

Former Crompton paid man Darren Sammy is not in the West Indies squad for the first Test, but is a regular in the one-day side and captained West Indies ‘A’ in their recent draw against the England tourists in St Kitts.

England’s first game of their Caribbean tour was against a St Kitts X1 and that team featured Steve Liburd, who was Royton’s professional in 2007.

On the subject of Royton professionals, Neil Broom is establishing himself in the New Zealand one-day team which on Sunday beat Australia in the first game of the current series.

Broom, paid man at the Paddock in 2005, had a disappointing time at Royton, scoring 876 runs for an average of 31.29 and taking 27 wickets at 37.07 apiece.

But he made a vital contribution against Australia, hitting 29 runs in a fifth-wicket stand of 42 with Ross Taylor which paved the way for the Black Caps’ victory.

And Broom was dismissed in controversial circumstances which have since caused international condemnation.

Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke appeared to have bowled Broom with a quicker ball, but television replays revealed that wicketkeeper Brad Haddin had touched the stumps with his gloves after catching the delivery which Broom missed.

Haddin’s subsequent refusal to accept any error prompted New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori to complain and the argument continues to rumble on, with many onlookers convinced that Broom was given out in error.

Australia also succumbed to South Africa in their recent one-day series' and it was yet another CLL man who plotted their downfall.

Former Heywood professional Johan Botha stepped into the breach when captain Graeme Smith was injured and did a magnificent job of leading the team to a 4-1 series victory.

Botha chipped in with valuable runs, but it was his spin bowling which proved most effective as he took valuable wickets and put a brake on the Aussies’ scoring rate.