New season looming large

SADDLEWORTH have turned to Imran Aslam (main picture) to skipper the side

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THIS Sunday heralds the start of the new JW Lees Brewery Pennine Cricket League season.

Here KEVIN RICHARDSON features the local teams in the competition's Premiership.

AUSTERLANDS

Captain: Andy Young; Professional: Shanuka Dulaj (Sri Lanka); Overseas amateur: Adriane Morrison (Australia); Last season: 9th in the Premiership.

AFTER an 11-year gap, Andy Young is back as captain of Austerlands, who boast a new professional in Shanuka Dajal (22).

The Moors Sports Club all-rounder - he is a left-hand batsman and bowls leg breaks - has a decent first-class average of more than 40 and a highest score of 181 not out.

With Mohammed Irfan switching to Heaton Park in the Bolton League, new-ball duties will go to ex-Flowery Field and Rochdale medium-pacer Lee Milner.

Harry Woodhead, a former junior at Austerlands, is back from Australia to bolster the batting department.

Also heading in from Down Under is new overseas amateur Adriane Morrison.

The all-rounder, who bowls seam, primarily features second grade cricket in Queensland. The 19-year-old played in the Devon leagues last summer.

CROMPTON

Captain: Simon Wright; Professional: Akbar Rehman (Pakistan); Overseas amateur: TBC; Last season: 5th in the Premiership.

THE Glebe Street outfit call upon a new professional in Akbar Rehman, an opening batsman who bowls leg spin.

Importantly, the Pakistani has experience of playing in English conditions having enjoyed a spell in the Liverpool Competition.

Simon Wright, who has skippered Crompton on and off for 16 years, has also brought in seamer Adam Good from Royton to boost the bowling attack, but they have lost top amateur batsman Josh Tolley to Norden.

Wright (35), who lifted the Tanner Cup in 2016, said: "We're probably a stronger bowling side than batting this season as I have lots of options with the ball.

"Our aim is to stay in the Premiership and as long as we can compete, that's all I can ask for."

GLODWICK
Captain: Nigel Stock; Professional: Rehan Rafiq (Pakistan); Overseas amateur: TBC; Last season: 8th in the Premiership.

AFTER leading Glodwick to the Saddleworth League title in 2014, Nigel Stock has stepped back into the role as skipper, replacing Franco Lenhardt, who will continue to bat at the top of the order.

Medium-quick bowler Mahmood Ul-Hassan has returned from a spell at Droylsden while seamer Imran Asghar is fit after missing a lot of 2016 because of a broken arm. Glodwick will also look to get some overs out of all-rounder Mark Whitehead as the knee problem which prevented him from bowling last season has eased.

Promising teenagers Josh Brown - a well-organised batsman - quick bowler Hassan Ahmed and wicketkeeper James Chadwick are expected to push for first-team selection.

GREENFIELD

Captain: Chris Gill; Professional: Rivaldo Moonsamy (South Africa); Overseas amateur: TBC. Last season: 7th in the Premiership.

A NEW professional and three fresh faces - the Ladhill Lane outfit have been busy in the winter months.

Rivaldo Moonsamy (20), who plays for Northerns, is the club's paid man. The right-handed batsman has a first-class average of more than 50, and only last month recorded his highest score of 146 against Namibia at Centurion Park.

The bowling department has been boosted with the capture of seamer Jake Caudwell (from Micklehurst), left-arm spinner Brad Woolley (Ashton) and seamer Andrew Cadd (Delph). Caudwell and Woolley took 41 and 32 wickets respectively last season.

But Adam Hayes, one of the mainstays of Greenfield after coming through junior ranks, has moved away.

HEYSIDE

Captain: Ryan Barnes; Professional: Bilal Khiljee (Pakistan); Overseas amateur: TBC; Last season: 1st in the Championship (promoted).

NEWLY-promoted Heyside have strengthened for their first season in the top flight.

In has come Milnrow duo Max Power, a batsman, and left-arm spinner Dec Wilkinson, plus the experienced Chris McDonnell, who most-recently played for Austerlands.

Heyside are hoping to secure the services of an overseas amateur in the next week or so.

Although paid man Bilal Khiljee is the wrong side of 40 - the Pakistani will turn 43 on September 10 - his record in local league cricket is second to none with bat and ball.

SADDLEWORTH
Captain: Imran Aslam; Professional: Imran Aslam (Pakistan); Overseas amateur: None; Last season: 2nd in the Premiership.

TAKING no risks over the qualification of Nauman Akram due to new ECB rules regarding overseas amateurs, Saddleworth have reluctantly decided against bringing over one of last season's leading non-professional bowlers for a second term at Well-i-Hole.

Tall paceman Tom Avery has returned from Rochdale to boost a side which this season will be skippered by pro Imran Aslam after Brian Lord decided to relinquish the position.

STAYLEY

Captain: Peter Skuse; Professional: Hamza Nadeem (Pakistan); Overseas amateur: Dylan McLachlan (Australia); Last season: 2nd in the Championship (promoted).

APART from the addition of young wicketkeeper-batsman Dillon McLachlan, it's as you were at Millbrook as they tackle Premiership cricket for the first time.

FORMER

McLachlan (19) hails from the Valleys club in Brisbane, whose old boys included former Australian internationals Allan Border and Matthew Hayden.

Skipper Peter Skuse will look to youngsters Jim Wardle, an off-spinner, and all-rounder Reece Downend continue their development, while the Roberts brothers, Peter and David, offer valuable experience with both bat and ball.

All-rounder Hamza Nadeem is back as the professional