CLUBS FROM the Saddleworth & District Cricket League are relishing the new challenge following the formation of the J W Lees Pennine League following a merger with the CLL.
It was brought about after the creation of the Greater Manchester Cricket League which the majority of local clubs didn’t want to be part of.
Twenty-four clubs from the two organisations have joined forces to create the Pennine League that will operate with two divisions of 12 with promotion and relegation to increase its competitiveness.
Saddleworth, Greenfield and Austerlands will be in the Premiership by virtue of finishing in the top four of the Saddleworth League in 2015. They will join the eight leading CLL clubs.
Moorside, Uppmerill, Friarmere and Micklehurst, meanwhile, will contest the Championship.
SADDLEWORTH
Captain Brian Lord believes it will be a challenging season for the last-ever Saddleworth League champions in the Pennine League after the departure of key players.
Brothers Peter and Dave Roberts have moved to Stayley, Mohammad Shakir to Delph while Joe Taylor has gone to live in Sweden.
Imran Aslam is back for a third season as professional while Nauman Akram, a former Pakistani under-19 player and a fast bowler, is their overseas amateur.
Batsman Brad Hadfield is also back after a season at Micklehurst.
Lord said: “We are quite a few players down so the objective will be to stay in the top division.
“We have to be realistic and accept those players are hard to replace while the standard in the Premiership will be a massive improvement of what we have been used to.
“Last year there were games we knew we would win before we started, but every game will be tough in the new league.”
Lord ought to hit the ground running having spent four months this winter playing grade cricket for Clarence, a club in the Tasmanian capital Hobart.
He played seven third grade games in Cricket Tasmania Premier League scoring 499 runs averaging 99.80 and including 105 in the third grade final when they lost to Kingborough. He also played two second grade games scoring 62 runs and averaging 31.
GREENFIELD
Greenfield’s signing of Austrialian T20 international James Muirhead, a leg spin bowler, is a statement of intent from the Ladd Hill Lane club.
And Muirhead has brought club mate Alex Bychkov, an all-rounder, as the club’s overseas amateur.
The capture of Muirhead was largely down to the efforts of first-team player Adam Hayes who worked tirelessly to capture a “decent” pro for the club.
In fact Muirhead is the marquee professional in the Pennine League with his capture causing ripples of excitement and anticipation.
Michael Bird has left returning to Uppermill while Peter Gill, father of first-team captain Chris, is also reported to have retired.
Club official Bob Weedon explained Greenfield has some good young home-grown players and the Premiership will be an interesting test for them.
AUSTERLANDS
New professional Sachin Rana is an all-rounder Austerlands believe could set alight the Premiership.
Rana, 31, has played in the Indian Premier League for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Sunriders and is renowned as an excellent batsman.
C J Ferreira is back as overseas amateur in what is largely an unchanged line up from last season.
After finishing fourth in the Saddleworth League last season, they will be looking to consolidate this season.
Club spokesman Andrew Young said: “As club treasurer, I can assure you we never stretch ourselves and don’t spend half as much money as other clubs and never rely on the wallet.
“We will have to see what the Pennine League brings as it is new to everyone. We were competitive in every game last year and I am sure will we do okay this time.”
MOORSIDE
Unlucky to miss out on a Premiership place by one point, Moorside captain Danny Anchor believes there won’t be the same intense pressure in the Championship.
He explained: “We were disappointed to lose out but in a way are relieved as we struggle to get out the same team each week.
“There are some big clubs in the Premiership, but in the Championship there won’t be the same pressure.
“We want to finish as high as possible and be challenging for promotion, but we will also be keeping an eye on how the Saddleworth League clubs do in the Premiership.”
Grant Hodnett is back as professional, but his brother Kyle has left to be replaced by Tommy Mashiane, a 19-year-old South African all-rounder as their overseas amateur.
Spin bowler Imran Khan arrived from Friarmere while Kashif Khan, who broke his foot after only two games last summer, is back and like having a new signing according to Anchor.
Batman Alex Griffiths has left to join Micklehurst.
UPPERMILL
Uppermill have strengthened and expect to be on the rise after their 2015 campaign was a “disaster” according to chairman Chris Bird as they finished second bottom.
The reason for the optimism is the signing of South African batsmam/off-spin bowler Girvacques De Jager as their overseas amateur and the return of James Baron from Moorside, Michael Bird after a spell at Greenfield, Mark Lees and Matt Taylor who was captain when they were last crowned Saddleworth League champions in 2011.
Bird said: “We lost five first-team players last season that made it really tough for us and last year was a disaster.
“When you look at the players returning home, we are quietly confident we will be a lot more competitive.”
FRIARMERE
Friarmere are looking ahead with confidence as they will have a new-look side.
They have signed Pakistani Shoaib Shah, a top-order batsman and off-spin bowler, as their overseas amateur.
Joining him will be Afghanistan born batsman/off spin bowler Afak Ali Sartaj, who has played for Lancashire colts and seconds, and who was at Lancashire League club Rishton last season, and batsman Siraj Akhtar who scored over 500 runs for Cherry Tree last summer in the Ribblesdale League.
Friarmere also had Faisal Khalid lined up as their professional but the deal for the Belgium international has fallen through. Club official Gary Kershaw says the club has targeted an opening bowler as his replacement.
The only player to leave is spin bowler Imran Khan who has moved to Moorside.
After being a club is crisis and struggling to field two teams in recent seasons, Kershaw pointed out they will field three senior teams this year and there is a buoyancy and vibrancy about the new campaign.
MICKLEHURST
Micklehurst are looking to continue building after finishing fourth bottom last season.
After languishing at the foot of the table for several years, club spokesman Kyle Jacobs said: “Everything is going the right way after being bottom for a number of years.
“We are rebuilding and as we improve we are also attracting better players that bodes well for the future.”
Batsman Alex Griffiths is a case in point signing from Moorside. He replaces Brad Hadfield who has returned to Saddleworth.
New Zealander Cole Briggs, an 18-year-old batsman/wicketkeeper, is the club’s new overseas amateur.
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