Crompton in double swoop

CRICKET: CROMPTON have taken a couple of significant steps towards team-building for the 2011 Lake Garage CLL season.

The Glebe Street outfit struggled last summer when they finished bottom of the table, 10 points adrift of the rest.

But the signing of a new professional and overseas amateur is a serious statement of intent by Crompton, who will be hoping to attract additional amateur talent.

The paid man for 2011 will be Fida Hussain, a 35-year-old who comes to the club on the recommendation of Crompton’s former professional, Mohammed Zaman Khan.

Hussain, who hails from Faisalabad, holds a British passport so Crompton will not share the headaches of other clubs trying to sort out work permits for overseas players.

Said to be a good right-hand batsman who can open or come in at three, Hussain also bowls right-arm offspin.

He has a first-class batting average of over 34 and has scored two hundreds and 14 50s at that level.

Also coming to Crompton on the advice of Zaman Khan is the club’s new overseas amateur, Sami Ullah.

A right-arm fast bowler who can bat at five or six, he could provide the cutting edge Crompton lacked last season.

Carl Taylor will continue to captain the side and is hoping to see one or two new faces when the first team has its first pre-season nets at Crompton House School next Tuesday (7pm-9pm).

For more details, ring Carl on 0772 5937275.

Under-nines to under-13s nets begin at Crompton House on March 8 and any youngster interested in attending is asked to ring Glenn Rigby on 0781 4508820.


FORMER Crompton spinner Dale Highton is enjoying a successful spell with Cheltenham in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.
The Middleton CC player, who lives in Shaw, recently returned figures of 14-5-49-8 and, in a previous match against Melbourne High, clinched a hat-trick with an arm ball he has developed in Australia.

Cheltenham are currently in fifth place, one place from the play-offs.

During his time Down Under, Dale has met up with several local CLL players, including Matthew Taylor (Werneth) and Danny Pawson (Heywood), along with the latter club’s Kathryn Cross, who recently earned selection for the England squad touring Australia.