Cricket: All change for Meltham

May 23 2009 by David Lockwood, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

ALL CHANGE FOR MELTHAM

MELTHAM kick-started their season with a first-round Cup victory over Kirkheaton, followed by a vital League win over previously unbeaten Micklehurst, much to the delight – and relief – of new skipper Simon Kenworthy.

Certainly officials were fearing the worst for the Mean Lane club with only a couple of weeks to go to the start of the 2009 season, and hardly, if any, appreciable signings on the radar.

Indeed they hadn’t even got a captain in place following the decision of Ainsley Swallow to follow his uncle Ian back to his hometown club of Elsecar, and further handicapped by other late departures which left them struggling to field a first eleven.

Ben Raven-Hill returned from whence he came to Thongsbridge (where he is having a tremendous start to the season), while Alistair Farrell moved the short distance up the valley to Marsden to play with some friends at the Hemplow club, while opening bowler Will Hinchliffe transferred to Golcar.

And two players, earmarked as new recruits, Stephen Lane (who had actually been chosen as skipper) and Richard Haikings, decided late in the day to seek a release from their impending transfer and instead chose to go over the top to Milnrow.

Not surprisingly, that left the Meltham hierarchy looking down the barrel before the first wicket had even been cut!

The saving grace was they did have an overseas player already arranged, and Darren Hinchliffe had finally agreed (after several years persuasion) to return to his home village, and when second-teamer Simon Kenworthy also agreed to step up and take on the captain’s role, the re-building process was under way.

Another two big signings were Zubair Raje (son of the Dewsbury Sports owner) who is English-born and Saif Rehman, who is also English-qualified, while all-rounder Ibrar Hussain had agreed to join from Holmfirth.

“It was certainly a difficult time pre-season, and with such a turnover in players from last year, our first aim has to be to beat the drop,” admitted Kenworthy.

“Obviously getting Daz (Hinchliffe) was a big bonus, because he is a proven opening batsman who has performed well wherever he has played over a long and fruitful career.