SINCE entering the Drakes League in 1999 and storming through the old Section B without a pause, Delph & Dobcross continue to be one of Huddersfield’s strongest clubs.

With a string of fine overseas players (including the legendary Brandon Nash) and Lancashire first and second teamers (both former and present) they have certainly been able to boast some of the best players in the League.

But for all that, their trophy cabinet has not exactly been bursting at the seams.

Aside from the Section B trophy in their inaugural season, they did capture the Premiership crown in 2003, and on a lesser front won the old Examiner Mini Cricket and Examiner Twenty/20 in 2005 and 2008 respectively.

Meanwhile, their near misses include being beaten finalists in the Romida Sykes Cup twice, losing to Honley in 2005 and then to Barkisland in 2008, and that’s a record that skipper Grant Jones will be anxious to rectify.

But then again winning – although obviously of paramount importance – is not just what being a skipper is all about.

“Trying to keep everyone happy is one of my big problems,” admitted Jones.

“It’s not that easy when you have seven bowlers and a team full of batsmen, all of whom want to be involved in the action.

“It’s ludicrous when you think someone like Luke Hargreaves is having to bat at the tail end – he must be the best 10 or 11 in the League!”

There are only a couple of new faces in the Delph line-up this season, one of which is all-rounder Faisal Butt, who has given the side another spin option to Arron Lilley since they lost Kamran Mirza and who has so far taken 17 wickets, including a five-wicket haul against Golcar and two unbeaten half-centuries.

“Faisal was a late signing, but he’s a good friend of Bilal’s (Khiljee) and last season played for Yeadon in the Bradford League and has already impressed with both bat and ball.

“Our only other new recruit this year is Matt Norvall, who was born in Zimbabwe, but is English qualified. Last season Matt, who is another all-rounder, played for Swinton Moorside in the Manchester Association.

“Other than that, we are as we were last season with Bilal back with us for a third season.

“He’s a tremendous pro who wants to bowl all the time and he’s got 29 wickets in League and Cup so far. He’d bowl 25 overs every game if I’d let him. And when I ask him if he’s tired, he simply replies: ‘Me, I rest all week!’

“This year we had a poor start, losing our first two games to Shepley and Honley, but we’re now starting to pick up and we have the bonus at the moment of having Lancashire’s Kyle Hogg playing with us.

“He’s in Lancashire’s Twenty/20 squad, but has not been selected, so it’s a bonus when he plays for us, although of course, it’s then down to me to tell everyone else they are batting one place lower than normal!”

Jones added: “I think the league looks a lot closer than in previous years.

“Skelmanthorpe are going to be useful with Jaffer in their side, while Shepley look a very good all round side. Then you have the two promoted sides, Hoylandswaine and Kirkburton, who both look quite strong, which is again unusual for teams coming up into the Premiership.

“I honestly think that as many as eight or nine teams could be in with a chance of winning the title this year.”

Another Delph & Dobcross player who is very much involved in Lancashire’s county thinking is spinner Lilley, who has already played two or three games with the Red Rose county’s second string and is a very good prospect.

“Arron will have a bit more to think about this summer, because we’ve made him our new skipper for the Twenty/20 competition, which is nice, because now somebody else can have the hassle,” laughed Jones.

Meanwhile, Jones, himself a former Lancashire county hopeful, has something else to smile about this year, following his son Nathan’s selection for Lancashire’s Under 11s.

A pupil at Knowsley Junior School in Oldham, Nathan had trials with Yorkshire’s juniors, but it was Lancashire who took him on, and last week he showed his White Rose neighbours what they have missed out on when he took five wickets for just eight runs in six overs on debut to bowl out Durham for a meagre 58.

Unfortunately, Nathan didn’t get chance to show his prowess with the bat as Lancashire knocked off the target for the loss of only three wickets.

Jones opens the bowling (he’s right arm but bats left handed) and obviously has no desire to follow his father by donning the wicketkeeping gloves. “He’s got more sense than that,” added his proud dad.