It may be only early in the Drakes League season, but smart punters may want to find a few extra pounds to invest on Delph & Dobcross winning some silverware this year.

The Huddersfield Road club have made a powerful start in all competitions and they are soon to get even stronger with the arrival of Shree Goswami from the Indian Premier League.

With Arran Lilley poised for greater involvement at Lancashire, the Rajasthan Royals ace who was previously with Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore will arrive soon as the ideal cover and addition.

Skipper Andy Gleave could not be happier with joint top of the Premiership table and unbeaten going into the away game at Shelley.

Delph also have a home quarter-final against Armitage Bridge in the All Rounder Sykes Cup on Sunday, June 12, while their exit to Wrenthorpe in the Heavy Woollen Cup was only on a coin toss.

“We netted very well in pre-season and we’ve had a great start,” said Gleave, who has played a good deal of cricket on both sides of the Pennines.

“It’s fair to say we know we’ve got a good side and, in these early matches of the season, it really has all clicked for us.

“Everyone is well happy with the start we’ve had and we are looking to challenge on all fronts.

“We have a good group of players, an excellent dressing room and, like the old cliche, we are just going to take it one game at a time.

“Nothing is won in May, so no-one is getting carried away, but we do believe we can make a challenge in all formats this season.”

Delph have become a leading club since swapping the Saddleworth League for Huddersfield in 1999, when they immediately won Section B and, only four years later, got their hands on the Byrom Shield as title winners.

Mohammed Shakir has joined Delph from Saddleworth to open the bowling

They had to wait until 2012 to lift the Sykes Cup, but they have respected people behind the scenes in president Peter Gledhill – winner of the FR Stallard Cup, the league’s top award for services to cricket, in 2014 – man for all seasons Les Harrison and his son Jamie, who scores and runs the Drakes League website.

On the field, too, they have always strived to attract the best possible players to add to stalwarts such as those from the Jones family, and this year is no exception.

In addition to Goswami, who has five List A centuries to his name and is awaiting paperwork in India before flying in, Delph have signed opening bowler Mohammed Shakir from Saddleworth, where he took more than 70 wickets last summer.

With all-rounder Greg Buckley back from Australia and Old Trafford T20 winner Lilley available for all matches so far, they have an impressive line-up.

Lancashire prospect Chris Laker opens the batting with Gleave, Buckley, experienced Graeme Simpson and Lilley are next, then Lancashire age-group captain Nathan Jones.

Shakir and Luke Hargreaves provide destructive power down the order with keeper Grant Jones, Andrew Cadd and quick bowler Wasim Qasim to come after that.

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“It’s a massive help having Arron available – a big plus because he is the best player in the league,” explained Gleave.

“We’ve seen a big more of Arron than we probably expected, which has been great, and we don’t know how long it will be before we miss him because of his Lancashire commitments, so we are just determined to enjoy him while he’s here because he can literally win you games on his own.

“Greg is a top player as well and, while he’s been battling with a finger injury, he has made a really good start with ball and bat and we know what we are going to get from him at No3.

“Shak is a good acquisition because, where we struggled last year, was in control at the top of the bowling and he gives us that.

“With what he does, it allows Wasim at the other end to just run in and bowl quick.

“It’s a nice opening partnership and, to be fair, we have a good balance to the side as a whole.

“I have six or seven options with the ball – some good lads aren’t even getting a look in some weeks – and it’s the same with the batting order, which I can readily switch around if we get into a shortened game, or anything like that.

“It’s a great problem to have as a captain and that problem will become even greater when Shree gets here, because he should add even more firepower!”

The power that already exists was illustrated when Delph hammered a record limited overs score of 528 in their Sykes Cup clash with Marsden.

“I batted like a crab early on and made it look more difficult than it was and, at half way, we were looking at 300 as a decent score,” smiled Gleave.

“But when someone like Arron gets in and gets going along you score quickly, and he just kept going and going and going.

“I don’t think the scale of it has really sunk in for most of us, because I don’t think we are every likely to play in something like that again or even witness it.”

So what does Gleave make of the Premiership this season?

“It’s a good league,” he answered.

“I’ve played a lot of cricket in Lancashire, but it was my ambition to come back and play cricket in the Huddersfield League because you have got good sides and the competition is strong.

“The likes of Hoylandswaine, Shepley and, this season, Broad Oak look very strong, but even the teams at the bottom can turn up and roll you over on their day, so you have to be on your mettle.

“We are going well and we are confident, so hopefully we can sustain it and be among the chase for honours – that’s certainly the aim.”