Cornwall Cricket League Preview 2005

The Cornwall Cricket League is due to get underway in full on Saturday 30th April. Players, groundsmen and spectators alike will all be hoping for a marked improvement in the weather. In the west Penzance Fourths make their League debut and Goldsithney Seconds have re-entered. There is pre-season disappointment in the east however as, reluctantly, in order the help the club survive; the League Management has accepted the wish of St Minver to withdraw their first XI from Division 2 due to a shortage of suitable players. They were relegated from County Division 1 last year and will now continue with one team in Division 6. As a result of the vacancy only one team will be relegated from Division 2 East and below this year. A total of 159 teams are set to compete. Non -rearrangement of games called off due to the weather also comes into effect this season.

The County Division 1 season is set to be competitive with most clubs parading new faces. Troon were relegated for the first time ever last season. They have lost David Roberts to St Just and Dan Davies to Newquay plus overseas player Adam Crowley. New faces include new skipper Neil Stoddard (from Truro), Andy Reynolds (from Long Rock) plus two Australian all rounders. Michael Salerno is a left arm spinner and Ben Laughlin an opening bowler adding to the present mix of youth and experience at the club.

Hayle, who narrowly missed out last year, are again expected to go well having gained County opening bowler, Lee Caddy, from Truro. Caddy replaces Glen McCallum who was second in the division's bowling averages. Scott Harris has returned to Camborne. David Aunger continues as captain with Paul Lello his deputy. Successful fund raising has resulted in a new set of pitch covers at the Towans.

Paul, who finished fourth last year, have gained New Zealander Paul Taylor who joins countryman Scott Bonner. Neil Pengelly captains the team.

Launceston will continue under the captaincy of Dave Chapman with prolific batsman Andy Birkett, who scored over a thousand runs at an average of 115 last term, as his deputy. Jeremy Kuru, who topped the division's bowling averages last year is not available along with opener Rob May who has opted to move to try his luck in the Premier League with Werrington. Two former players have returned to the club however, batsman Marcus Gilbert from Callington and bowler Peter West from Luckett.

Beacon, who were mid table last year, will have a similar line up. Opening bowler Steve Eddy again captains the team with talented left handed batsman and wicketkeeper Karl Turner his vice-captain.

St Austell have a number of additions to their squad. Australian Daniel McLauchlan is a left-arm fast bowler & middle order batsman and fellow Australian David Barber a batsman/ slow bowler. Stuart McNair has joined from Truro and batsman Robbie Hawken from St Minver. Simon Ellison will be living at home this season while bowler Duncan Fraser has confirmed he is remaining at the club. One absentee from last year is Ed Nicolson, who retired at the end of the season.

Gorran have Rob Daniel as skipper again after Nigel Tabb took over last year. Rob Hurrell returns after injury and two young Australians, Abhishek Sharma and Vinod Rehaan, who are both of Indian descent, have joined the club. Both Rosudgeon and near neighbours

Goldsithney have also gained overseas players. Goldsithney have registered Australian Joel Ashforth and also Andrew Hadley while Rosudgeon welcome South African Sushikeumar Parbhoo and New Zealander Michael Yannakis. They will miss Simon Wherry who hit almost 800 runs last term.

Justin Stephens, who hardly played last year due a contractual dispute with former club St Just, has been named as the Penzance professional. Andrew Lavender Treve Laity and Jamie Stevens should support him with the ball while on the batting front, Tim Lord returns to a team who will be led by Gavin Edwards.

The promoted teams are Redruth, who were last in County 1 in 1998, and Wadebridge who were relegated a year earlier. Redruth have lost opener Dave Simpson, who scored over a thousand runs at an average of 90 last year and Mark Richards. On the positive side Nigel Hambly and Phil Bostock make the short move from Camborne while South African Freddie Troskie is a new recruit. David ' Gabby' Stephens again skippers the side. The club are celebrating their 175th anniversary year having been formed in 1830 and have a new sightscreen, pitch covers and safety perimeter fencing.

Wadebridge welcome back former County player Nick Yelland as professional. Neil Kent has joined from St Minver while Ian Botha and Tom Gurney have returned to the area. Steve Dingle skippers the side. Much work has been undertaken at the Club over the winter with considerable investment into the Club's facilities with a return to County 1 eagerly anticipated.

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