The Hereford Times

Clubs brimming with confidence as start to new season approaches

1:38pm Friday 25th April 2008

HEREFORDSHIRE’S leading cricket clubs in the Crusader Worcestershire County League open their competitive campaigns this Saturday.

With Brockhampton gaining promotion to the Birmingham & District League, Bromyard and Eastnor are the county’s top representatives in the Worcestershire league.

Bromyard will be captained by Pakistan-born Zahid Saeed in their quest for a top-three position in Division 1.

The left-arm paceman is back to full fitness after an injury stopped him from bowling for Bromyard in the second half of last season.

Zahid has played 75 first-class matches in Pakistan and taken 299 wickets at an average of 24.54.

The 26-year-old said: “I can’t wait for the season to begin. We have assembled a strong team at Bromyard and we will be aiming for a top-three place.” South African Barry Rhodes is the north Herefordshire club’s overseas player for the season.

Twenty-one-year-old Rhodes hails from Eastern Province and is expected to bat at number three and he could possibly open the bowling.

Jamie Binley, a seam bowler, is another new recruit having joined Bromyard from the Rutland area.

Bromyard will also be boosted by the return to fitness of wicketkeeper Richard Brookes, who missed the whole of last season through injury, and left-arm seamer Keith Styles. All-rounder Peter Whittenbury should also be available for most of the campaign.

Zahid said: “Brookes hasn’t played since suffering a bad injury at the end of the 2006 season, so it will be great to have him back. We finished seventh last season, but we have much greater expectations this year.” Eastnor, who are also in Division 1, will be hoping to improve on their ninth-placed position in 2007.

The villagers will be captained by Jabran Khalid who missed last season after suffering a knee injury while playing football.

Jabran said: “I was trying to lose a bit of holiday fat, so I was trying to get fit playing football. But I suffered a knee ligament injury before the start of the cricket season and I had an operation in June. I am still not fully fit, probably about 70 or 80 per cent fit, but I have been missing the cricket too much and I am desperate to play.” Jabran, who opens the batting and bowls off-spin, is confident that Eastnor can achieve a top-four position.

All-rounder Atiq Rehman will be arriving from Pakistan for his third season as Eastnor’s overseas player.

Atiq is a top-order batsman and a very good wicket-keeper who can bowl leg-spin.

He finished third in the Division 1 batting averages last year and was 12th in the bowling averages.

Atiq has played alongside Bromyard’s Zahid in Pakistan and was a member of the Pakistan Under-19 team.

But Jabran believes that 20-year-old Faisal could be the player to watch at Eastnor this summer.

“Faisal has been working very hard in the nets and has been bowling at a good pace. He is keen and will be travelling back from university in Birmingham each week to play for the club,” he said.

Khalid believes that Eastnor will benefit from having one of the best bowling attacks in the division.

“Shahid is a very useful bowler. He’s not as quick as he used to be, but he’s very consistent and takes a lot of wickets. Faisal should learn a lot from working closely with Shahid.” Veteran off-spinner Jim Sandford will be looking to recapture the form which saw him finish eighth in the League 1 bowling averages last year.

Former Marches League champions Monmouth are entering their second season in Division 2 and will be aiming to build on a seventh-placed finish last term.

The Welshmen, who will be captained by Dan Head, have recruited Australian batsman Jamie Craig as their new overseas player.

The 19-year-old has played Grade B cricket for Adelaide Cricket Club in South Australia.

Craig has replaced Mark Temple, the club’s overseas player from last season, who has started his own company in South Africa.

All-rounder Dan Fisher has re-joined Monmouth after a spell with Bromsgrove in the Birmingham & District League.

Colwall have joined Monmouth in Division 2 but Wormelow will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing relegation with a much-improved campaign in Division 3.

The villagers will welcome back Ian Herbert, after injury, and Andy Davies following his sabbatical.

Captain Shaun Waldron said: “The aim is to quickly bounce back up to Division 2. All members are eagerly awaiting the start of what we hope will be an enjoyable and successful season.”