Chris Lloyd hopes to be back at Moorlands next season to build on his non-EU Player of the Year award from the Drakes League.

The easy-going 25-year-old from Brisbane has had only five seasons of cricket since taking up the game late in his teens, but he’s made an impact both in Queensland and in Mirfield.

Lloyd had to take last year out to recover from injuries suffered the previous summer when he collided with giant Memorial Ground teammate Andrew Fortis – when Moorlands were in the Central Yorkshire League Division I – but he has returned to form with a vengeance.

Lloyd finished the season with 84 wickets, making him the most prolific attack leader in the three divisions.

Into the bargain, Lloyd has added 635 runs at 31.75 after making the No4 slot his own in captain Andrew Walker’s batting order.

“It’s been great coming back here after my season off, because I really did miss it,” explained Lloyd.

“It was good that Moorlands gave me the opportunity to play again this year and I do consider it very much my second home.

“They are a great bunch of guys to go out with, everyone is friends and we’ve had a good season.”

Lloyd plays for the respected Wynnum Manly club in Australia, and the games he played back home in our last winter – after he had fully recovered from serious internal injuries – set him up nicely for a return to Yorkshire.

“I played mostly Second Grade cricket before getting a couple of games in the First Grade,” said Lloyd.

“I didn’t do awesomely, but I did a job pretty much before being dropped back down and earning my place in the Twos again.

“It’s a decent standard back home and I really think it teaches you to bat time and think about the game.”

So what has Lloyd made of the Cedar Court Conference and how excited is he about the challenge of playing in the 12-club Frank Platt Championship next summer?

“I think the standard in the Conference has been pretty good,” he answered.

“I heard when I was coming back here that the league in the Conference might not be that strong, but I’ve found it completely the opposite.

“With the new teams coming into the league and more established ones coming down from last year, my personal opinion is that it’s been just as strong as the Central Yorkshire Division I was when I played here last time (2011).

“Obviously I’m very pleased with how the season has gone. I can’t take all the credit for my wickets, because the lads at the other end have bowled tightly to create pressure and I’ve reaped the rewards at the other end – in addition to benefiting from some great fielding from the lads.

“The batting has been a real bonus because, back home, I bat No10 or No11. Here I seem to have found my form, I’ve been strong on the front foot and I’ve put in the time to graft and wait for the bad ball.

“I don’t think anyone back home will believe I’ve got over 600 runs, but I’ve been lucky everything has worked out for me, I’ve been in some decent form and I’m very happy about that.”

Lloyd admits he’s got some sorting out to do career wise before he decides whether he’ll be back in Mirfield come April.

“It depends whether I come back,” he said. “I’m not too sure because I’m getting a bit old now at 25 – I don’t like saying that! – and I have to think about what I’m going to do (for a career).

“I would love to come back, naturally, and Moorlands have offered me the opportunity if I want to, but I will have to see what happens when I get home.

“As I’ve said, I view Moorlands as my second home – I’m even considering citizenship and perhaps coming to settle here – but we will have to wait and see.

“The great thing is that I love the people at the club, they are all really supportive and they’ve all made me very welcome, so that makes a big difference. I would love to come back if at all possible.

“It will be good, too, to play at the higher level and see how we go on.

“We played Thongsbridge in the Sykes Cup this season and didn’t turn up, getting bowled out for 77. No-one stood up that day and we were very disappointed.

“I think we feel we have a point to prove next year because of that and, while it’s another step up in standard, I think we all believe we can perform as well as we have done this season.”