GREENFIELD Cricket Club has signed Pakistani top-order batsman/wicketkeeper Irfan Rafiq as their overseas player.
Irfan is the younger brother of Imran Rafiq who had a hugely successful season as professional at neighbours Austerlands in 2021.
He will strengthen the first-team’s batting following the departure of former captain Chris Gill who has joined Greater Manchester Cricket League, premier two rivals Glossop.
Gill, who has spent most of his playing days at Greenfield apart from a short spell at Huddersfield League club Broadoak, is looking for a new challenge.
DELPH, meanwhile, will have a new wicketkeeper for their Huddersfield League campaign.
Nathan Walker has been captured from GMCL club Friarmere to replace Will Mott who has moved to Huddersfield League side Shepley where he lives.
Walker, 17, also a useful upper-order batsman, played much of his junior cricket at Delph before moving to Friarmere. He is a product of Myerscough Cricket College at Old Trafford.
With Friarmere, he became a Tanner Cup winner in 2019 and scored his first ever senior 50 last season where he enjoyed a good season with the bat scoring 300 runs in the GMCL. Behind the stumps he took 25 victims and is a highly rated prospect.
Ironically, Delph play Shepley on the opening day of the season, though Mott, who joined Delph in 2020, will miss the match as it clashes with his wedding day.
Mott was a key member of Delph’s first team which stayed up in the premiership last season. He was often pushed up to open the batting as a ‘pinch hitter’ to varying success. He also scored his maiden first team half-century in a home defeat to Honley.
Mosun Hussain is staying at Delph for a fifth season. The opening batsman joined Delph in 2017 after leaving Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s academy.
In the Huddersfield League, where there is no restrictions on playing players, Hussain is effectively the club’s professional.
Clubs can have only one overseas player, and Delph are also hoping to recruit one to strengthen their young side.
XANDER Selby, 19, Delph’s first-team captain, is enjoying his winter Down Under at the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy.
And the Lees-based teenager recently got to bowl at the England and Australia players as they prepared for the Ashes Test at Adelaide.
Dad Jon, a former CLL cricketer, said: “It was a great experience for Xander to pit himself against premium batsmen.
“He bowled against Marnus Labuschagne (currently ranked number one batsman in the world) for one hour.
“To bowl against someone of that calibre and chat to the England and Australian players was something he will never forget.”
Xander, a slow left-arm spin bowler, is spending six months playing grade cricket in Australia before returning in March to prepare for the new season.
He has retained his place in Lancashire’s academy for the 2022 season – he has played in every age group since the age of 10 up to second team for the county.
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