SKIPPER Scott Dyson is one of the few constants as Shelley bid to hold their own among the ‘big boys’ of the Drakes Huddersfield Cricket League this summer.

After winning the Frank Platt Championship last season and then seeing nearest rivals Kexborough disappear into the South Yorkshire League, the Westerley Lane club were the only team to be promoted.

It was a decision which baffled people in some quarters, no more than those at Clayton West, who felt they had a justified claim having finished in third spot.

Nonetheless, Shelley, who only joined the League in 2001 and have just begun their second spell in the top-flight, found themselves the only ‘promotees’ which probably put them at a slight disadvantage straight away, as frequently, one of the promoted two (or sometimes three) clubs can immediately be installed as favourites for relegation.

That is something that Dyson does not want to contemplate as he believes the new-look side, which has been brought together during the winter, is strong enough to survive in the Premiership.

“The whole mindset and ethos at the club was to get into and then stay in the Premiership, and we have recruited with that aim in mind,” said Dyson, who has plenty of top-flight experience and knows what to expect after several successful seasons at Skelmanthorpe and before that with Elland and Hall Bower.

One of the first signings was Dyson’s former teammate at Skelmanthorpe, Sarfraz Ahmed, who although has yet to make his mark this season, has scored plenty of runs during his time at Lidgett Lane, including over 750 last year.

Two overseas signings, who are both English passport-holding Kiwis are Daniel Hill and Peter Drysdale, who come from the Mount Manganui club in the Bay of Plenty area, who are the top-ranked team in the region after sweeping the club awards last season.

Recommended by former Lascelles Hall star James Pamment, who is now head coach for the Bay of Plenty side, Hill is the Mount Maunganui skipper and an opening bowler and hard-hitting batsman, while Drysdale is a top-order batsman and occasional off-spinner.

“Peter comes with an excellent reputation as a batsman who scores big hundreds back home (he won the Mike Wright batting award as the top batsman in the league last season) and got away to a useful start in the first game against Kirkburton when he scored a half-century,” continued Dyson.

“I would expect him getting plenty of runs this season, and he’s the sort of batsman who plays himself in and builds an innings. And he’s also a useful off-spinner who bowls with plenty of bounce and picked up a five-for in the opening game.”

Drysdale joked that ‘it reminded me of home when the first trickle of sweat dropped off the end of my nose while bowling at Honley on Saturday’ and he’s looking forward to the season.

“Dan has got away to a slow start and has yet to adjust to our conditions, but he is highly regarded as a medium sharp bowler who has the ability to move the ball both ways,” continued Dyson.

“Sharing the opening bowling attack is another new signing, Bilal Khalid, who bowls big out-swingers with the new ball, and has joined us from Mirfield Parish.

“We have also signed Greg Wadsworth from Lascelles Hall, which gives us three spinners in the team, alongside Drysdale and Akhlaq Ahmed, who played with us last year and took 42 wickets.”

Shelley also recruited Ashley Donkersley from Armitage Bridge to keep wicket this season, and through his connections in Australia, when he played at the Strathdale club with the DeAurogo brothers, Ben and Jake (previously at Broad Oak and the Bridge) Shelley are shortly expecting the arrival of another antipodean, Mark Arnott, who is purely a batsman.

The downside is that they are likely to see very little of all-rounder Sam Scott this season, who is now playing rugby league with Sheffield Eagles, and who has been selected for the GB and Ireland students to tour Australia this summer.

Scott won the Frank Platt Championship batting award last season, when he scored over 500 runs and averaged over 50.

“We might be still looking for our first points this season – we really should have beaten Kirkburton on the opening day – but I still think we’ll have a decent season, and I’m looking for us to finish somewhere around mid-table,” said Dyson.