GREENFIELD AND Austerlands have both appointed new cricket professionals as they prepare for life in the new Pennine League.
And Greenfield captain Chris Gill is elated at the capture of James Muirhead who has played T20 cricket for Australia.
The leg-spin bowler has played for Australia against both England and India in T20 internationals.
Muirhead plays for the same St Kilda club side in Melbourne that also produced legendary spin bowler Shane Warne. He also twice represented Victoria, though the state side is well blessed for spin bowlers as senior internationals Glenn Maxwell and Fawad Ahmed are ahead of him.
Greenfield has also recruited overseas player Alex Bychkov, a batsman who also plays for St Kilda.
Last season, Greenfield signed Zimbabwean Tinashe Panyangara as their professional but he never fulfilled his contract. Initially he was delayed due to playing for his country in the World Cup.
Despite having no professional, Greenfield finished the season as runners up in the SWB Commercials Saddleworth and District Cricket League and were runners-up in the Tanner Cup and semi finals in the T20 competition.
Austerlands are also delighted with the capture of Bipul Sharma, a 32-year-old middle order batsman and left-arm spin bowler.
Sharma has represented India ‘A’ and last season also starred for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. He also captains the Himachal Pradesh state team.
Elsewhere former Micklehurst and Delph player Bilal Khiljee is the new professional at Heyside while Stayley have re-signed Pakistani all-rounder Hamza Nadeem as their paid man.
Austerlands are hopeful South African C J Ferreira will return as their overseas amateur.
Meanwhile, the inaugural meeting for the Pennine League was hosted by Middleton Cricket Club in December and Saddleworth League officials are well represented on the new committee.
Trevor Harrison is the Pennine League’s first secretary, Mike Ward treasurer, John Patterson disciplinary secretary and Peter Darby umpires’ secretary.
Representing the CLL will be new Pennine League chairman Nigel Tench, vice-chairman Glenn Kershaw and registrations secretary David Wightman.
Eddie Bayliss, chairman of the Saddleworth League, lost out but, as a mark of respect, he was elected the first life member of the Pennine League.
The next step for the Pennine League is to formulate its rules as well as producing fixtures for the 2016 season.
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