THE stars will be out at Haigh Lane next season.
Former England player Chris Schofield and ex-Yorkshire county opener John Sadler have been signed up by Hoylandswaine as they look to make a serious challenge in the Drakes Huddersfield Cricket League.
The club, who have only been in the League for two seasons (2010 was their first in the Premiership when they finished sixth) have been busily recruiting for next summer, look determined to upstage the ‘old order’ next season having really beefed up their first team squad.
Former Yorkshire player Alex Morris remains as skipper, and is joined by his former Test player Schofield and ex-Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Holmfirth opener John Sadler.
Another ex-county man is Gary Montgomery, an opening bowler just released from Lancashire, who played most of his cricket last season for Treeton, and will be familiar to football followers after spells in goal at Rotherham, Coventry, Kidderminster, Crewe and Grimsby.
Two more newcomers include South African spinner Calvin Flowers, who is a dual passport holder (his father hails from Wigan) and he played last year for Unsworth in the Central Lancashire League, while next year’s overseas is Michael Cranmer, from South Australia, who has played for Australia’s Under 19s.
And to complete the in-comers is former Sri Lankan all-rounder Ranjith-Don Bandula who has joined Swaine from Shepley.
Schofield most recently played in the Huddersfield League with Shelley in 2009, but along with Bradley Parker failed to inspire them to a promotion-winning season and left, but he is a life-long friend of Swaine skipper Morris, the two having grown up together in Barnsley.
However, it is the excellent signing of Sadler which could make them serious title challengers.
He began his county career with Yorkshire, had a spell at Leicestershire and three years at Derbyshire before being released.
In 2009 he finished second to Iqbal Khan in the Drakes League averages, having accrued 1,093 runs (ave 57.52) including five tons. However, last season he only played the first four games before moving on, but not before he fired an unbeaten 113 against Scholes in the League.
Bandula is well-known to Drakes League players, and although he didn’t have the best of seasons last year – 34 wickets and just 243 runs – there were plenty matches where he didn’t get a chance with the bat because of the success of earlier batsmen in the Shepley side.
Flowers and Cranmer are pretty much unknown quantities, but it was felt it was imperative that Hoylandswaine signed a spinner this season and although they look to have lost Ian Simon from last year’s line-up, Morris is definitely looking forward to the new campaign.
“We have got a stronger side than last year, and already we are looking forward to the new season with eager anticipation,” said the captain, who as well as missing Simon, is also set to start without is brother Zac, who played alongside him last year.
