The Hereford Times

County sides start out with derby clash

8:00am Saturday 3rd May 2008

TWO Herefordshire cricket clubs will be creating history on Saturday when they cross swords in Division 3 of the Birmingham & District Premier League.

Brockhampton host Kington at The Parks in the first meeting between two Herefordshire clubs in the competition.

For Brockhampton it will be their debut in the Birmingham League, while Kington finished eighth last year in their first season back in competition.

Kington skipper Dave Exall is looking forward to the battle with his Herefordshire Minor Counties captain Chris Boroughs, the Brockhampton all-rounder.

Exall said: "I have played in the same team as Chris many times, but I have never played against him. Hopefully, we can get rid of him early when he comes out to bat."

Kington have re-signed Vinnie Kay, who used to play for Luctonians, while Owen Morgan and Ben George have been looking good in the nets. Ed Symonds will not be available for most of the season.

Sri Lankan Dharshana Gamage is returning as the town club's overseas player. Gamage, 29, has played 84 first-class matches in Sri Lanka and taken 209 wickets at an average of 26.79. The right-arm fast bowler played three One-Day Internationals for Sri Lanka and was a replacement for Chaminda Vaas during the 2003 Sharjah Cup.

Brockhampton have recruited Herefordshire’s cricket development manager Steve Williams, from Evesham, Australian seam bowler Shaun Cartwright, wicketkeeper Stuart Turpin, from Kington, and Ed Price, from Kington, as their new league coach. Price will coach the villagers on one evening each week and be with one of the teams on a matchday.

Cartwright is the captain of Northern Brother Diggers in Toowoomba, Queensland, where Ashley Nahorniak spent the winter and scored 500 runs at an average of 30. Henry Langford has just returned from New Zealand where he had an outstanding season in which he hit three centuries and topped the league batting averages.

Chairman Roy Wargen said: “We are delighted to have kept the services of Chris Boroughs. He was great for us last year, both on and off the pitch.” Brockhampton will, once again, be skippered by Jon Walker.

Wargen added: “The game against Kington is the most important game ever between two Herefordshire club sides. We have Williams, Boroughs and Ed Price who all have experience at this level and it’s important that we are not going into this season blind.” For Ian Morgan’s in-depth preview of the GB Liners Marches League season, visit herefordtimes.com