Change of order as campaign beckons

ANDY WALKER: Friarmere skipper

IN the second part of the preview to the new JW Lees Brewery Pennine Cricket League season, KEVIN RICHARDSON features our local teams in the Championship, starting with Friarmere . . .

FRIARMERE

Captain: Andy Walker; Professional: Salman Syed (Pakistan); Overseas amateur: Cameron Engelbrecht (South Africa). Last season: 6th in the Championship.

IT'S all change at Slack Lane for 2017.

New pro Salman Syed, who lives in Bradford, is a batsman who bowls off-spin, while overseas amateur Cameron Engelbrecht - a quick bowler and middle-order batsman - hails from the Paarl club in Cape Town. He played in the Cambridgeshire leagues last season.

The batting has been further boosted by the return of Asif Qayyum, who most recently appeared for Linthwaite, and Husnain Haider, once the club's overseas amateur but now resident in the UK.

Fazel Wazir, an opening batsman, and leg-spinner Ehtisham Yaqub are other newcomers.

Friarmere have lost batter Siraj Akhtar and left-arm spinner Afaq Ali Sartaj to Orrell in the Liverpool Competition, while Sohail Mahmood and Wahid Munir will miss start of the season because of bans - four and eight-game bans respectively - picked up at the end of last term.

HOLLINWOOD

Captain: Abid Hussain; Professional: TBC; Overseas amateur: Krutik Patel (India); Last season: 11th in the Championship.

SKIPPERED by Abid Hussain (37), the Lime Lane club have an almost complete new first team.

While still hoping to secure a professional, Hollinwood have brought in off-spinning all-rounder Krutik Patel and a trio of former Shaw players in Abid Faisel (batsman), Adnan Shafiq (all-rounder) and Saiman Ghouri (wicketkeeper).

Another new fresh face is Jatinder Singh, from Little Hulton.Imran Lohdi and Rashid Riaz will step up from the seconds.

MICKLEHURST

Captain: Stuart Chamley; Professional: None; Overseas amateur: Andrew Kohler (Australia); Last season: 12th in the Championship.

WITH Michael Blomeley stepping down as captain, the role has switched to 24-year-old Stuart Chamley, who has spent all of his young cricketing life at Richmond Hill.

Micklehurst are boosted with arrival of overseas amateur Andrew Kohler - an all-rounder who bowls medium-pace swing - right-arm paceman Muhammed Numan and Akil Greenidge. All three are also expected to bat in the top six.

Charmley, who has worked hard to bring in new faces, has high hopes for Jack Darnborough, an all-rounder, and batsman Lewis Daniel.

MOORSIDE

Captain: Rick Harrington; Professional: Gerrie Snyman (Namibia); Overseas amateur: Ruan Havenga (South Africa). Last season: 5th in the Championship.

WILL this finally be Moorside's year?

With Gerrie Snyman in the ranks, the Turf Pit Lane club will be among the front-runners to gain promotion.

The former Heyside professional thrilled many a Saddleworth League crowd with his antics with the bat. In the 2014 season, the Namibian averaged 70.2.

New skipper Rick Harrington can also call upon ex-Shaw pair Drew Fullalove and wicketkeeper Pip Taylor for the first time this season.

Danny Anchor will revert to opening the innings alongside young Jack Gartside.

OLDHAM

Captain: Rashid Hussain; Professional: TBC; Overseas amateur: None; Last season: 10th in the Championship.

RASHID Hussain takes the reins for the fifth season at The Pollards, where he will look to young quick bowler Imran Khan to continue his progress.

Nadeem Ashraf again offers plenty of experience with bat and ball, while Talha Tufail will look to build on his 650 runs plus he scored last season.

Batsmen Usman Malik and Rana Ahmed have rejoined Oldham from Radcliffe, but off-spinner Hamza Hussain has moved to Littleborough.

Skipper Hussain said: "As always, we'll give it our best shot."

ROYTON

Captain: James Maurice Scott; Professional: Chiggy Khurana (India); Overseas amateur: Durgesh Mishra (India); Last season: 11th Premiership (relegated).

WITH Denny Hulme taking a year off from cricket, James Maurice Scott has taken over the captaincy.

The popular Chiggy Khurana returns as the club's paid man - "we're glad he's back as he is a great team player", enthused Maurice Scott - and he brings with him fellow countryman Durgesh Mishra.

Overseas amateur Mishra, an opening batsman and medium-pace bowler, is not the only new face for 2017.

Royton have signed Agnes Carruthers, brother of Ryan. Currently teaching in Manchester, the top-order batsman has played for Minor Counties side Cumberland.

Bowler Adam Good has joined Crompton.

SHAW

Captain: Steve Whiston; Professsional: Sajid Mahmood (England); Overseas amateur: TBC; Last season: 7th in the Championship.

THERE are wholesale changes at Holebottom Clough, with Steve Whiston back at the helm after eight years away from the club.

Former England and Lancashire bowler Sajid Mahmood (35) had already been snapped up before Whiston's return.

Mahmood is joined by his brother, another bowler, in Rak Mahmood, from Bolton League side Astley Bridge.

Other new faces include Tom Brimelow, a top order batsman from Rainhill (Liverpool Competition) and spin bowler Jay Virpura, who is studying at Manchester University.

Familiar names to Shaw followers back in the fold are Joe Whitehead and Gareth Harrop.

UPPERMILL

Captain: Andrew Jones; Professional: Ayaz Tasawwar (Pakistan); Overseas amateur: TBC; Last season: 8th in the Championship.

ANDREW Jones grabs hold of the reins for the first at Leefields.

He is in charge of a new pro in left-handed batsman Ayaz Tasawwar, who plays for the Water and Power Development Authority side which features Lancashire T20 overseas star and former Austerlands paid man Junaid Khan.

James Shaw, an opening batsman from neighbours Greenfield, is another fresh face while hopes are high that Paul Thompson,who missed 2016 because of injury, will be fit to return in the early stages of the season.

WERNETH

Captain: Michael Wilson; Professional: Matthew Taylor (England); Overseas amateur: TBC; Last season: 9th in the Championship.

WERNETH look a good deal stronger in 2017, with all-rounder Matthew Taylor assuming the position of paid man after returning to the club from Littleborough.

Another capture from Hare Hill is ex-Royton left-arm quickie Matthew Hodson.

New skipper Michael Wilson - Werneth through and through - will also have Callum Porteous, also once of Royton, to provide an off-spin alternative.

Andrew Walker, Werneth's cricket chairman, said: "There is a lot more confidence and whereas once we possibly lacked a bit with the new ball, Michael (Wilson) will have options."