Barnard Castle CC look to Australia for overseas amateur

PROLIFIC: Lachlan Pfeffer in action for Barney CC

BARNARD Castle have embarked on a search for an overseas amateur batsman for the 2017 season. It is part of the club’s strategy for retaining the North Yorkshire and South Durham League title they won for the first time last year.
“We are blessed with an abundance of home grown young talent which is getting better and better,” said Stephen Brenkley, the club’s president. “But the team and our own lads can benefit hugely from having an accomplished club player from elsewhere, not simply for the skills he might bring but for the cricketing wisdom he might impart. Another batsman is what we feel we need.”
Barney have again turned their attentions to Australia, home to their last three overseas amateurs. All have been immensely successful. Ben Turner scored 791 league runs at an average of 49.44 in 2014, Josh Mason 900 at 40.91 in 2015 and Lachlan Pfeffer at 846, including three hundreds, at 56.4 last summer.
“We know we’ll be extremely fortunate to get yet another one from a similar mould but we’re being as thorough as we can be in our search,” said Mr Brenkley.
“These things don’t happen by accident and Michael Stanwix, the club’s director of cricket, and John Walker, who has a knack of unearthing players, are trawling Australia. That’s where we are looking primarily because it’s been so good to us over the last three summers and the country tends to have young cricketers who want to spend a year in the UK broadening their horizons. With a bit of luck word will have spread about the sort of wonderful experience they can expect in Barney.”
The title defence begins with a home match against Norton on April 22. The first, second and third teams will all return to net practice in the last week of January with their intensity building as the season approaches. First XI captain, James Finch, intends that the sessions this year will focus on particular skills for each individual.
“Not only have Barney played winning cricket in the last few seasons but attractive cricket helped by our wonderful pitches,” said Mr Brenkley. “I think I can promise our loyal supporters more of the same this summer.
“It may be that our search for an overseas batsman is not successful this time in which case we’ll just get on with it. I think we have a reasonable chance of retaining the title without one. But with one, and although it may be sticking my neck out, we’ll be champions again.”