WCL Season Preview

The Westmorland Cricket League season gets underway on Saturday with the programme already being affected by the frustratingly wet spring. Spare a thought with the groundsmen who have been battling the unseasonable weather.

As ever until players turn up with their whites and kit bags it won't be finally known who is playing where and for whom. Heysham have been the nearly men over recent seasons, and start this season as one of the favourites to win the Bateman Shield for the first time since 1961. Lewis Plackett takes over as captain and Heysham have recruited Riley Wilson, a 20-year-old all-rounder who plays second grade cricket for Penrith in New South Wales as their first overseas amateur. They have also signed batsman Shaun Wyse who has played more than 200 first team games for Rishton and the experienced Phil Bovis. It is hoped that these acquisitions will compensate for the departure of Jamie Cassidy back to Morecambe, but it means their bowling attack will be more dependent on Sam Calverley, with Josh Smethurst also returning to Shireshead.

Burneside are hopeful of their first league title since 1997. David Batty returns from Kendal, and Chris Dixon is expected to play again whilst Jim Crawford will join from Arnside. With Oscar Coxon one of the most promising fast bowlers the league has seen in recent years, captain Ben Leacock, Curtis Nicholson, Nathan Chambers, Ethan Ellwood, and Ben Phillips the attack looks formidable. The batting no less so with Phillips looking to add to the three hundreds he scored last year and the intriguing possibility of Indian batsman, Mehfuz Patel joining as an overseas amateur.

A week before the season Shireshead were still looking to settle on a captain for the season, but off spinning all-rounder Jack Cunnington takes up the reins. Rick Hamblett could potentially be as significant for the Forton club as Phillips at Burneside galvanising the talents of Joe Cunliffe, the Jacques brothers, Adam Murphy, Dave Jack and Joe Oliver in a tilt at the title. Jack Cunnington and Tom Jacques provide the best spin pairing in the Division and in Stan Collinson they have the outstanding young batsman. Don’t rule out a challenge.

Sedgwick has built new changing rooms during the close season that should make the off-field experience as pleasant as appearing on the splendid historic country house ground. They were the early pacesetters in 2022 and retain one of the most potent bowling attacks with captain Jonny Matthews, Tom Ridley and Richard Hanson likely to be joined by very promising left arm quick, Dan Lawson. It’s their batting which hasn’t been able to be consistent enough. Powerful all-rounder Chris Evans can win any game, but he will need support from the likes of Lee and Robbie Tattersall if Sedgwick are to mount a challenge.

Adam Richardson captains Arnside again, and with Ben Lenton and Alex Davidson, Arnside will score runs. Rob Shepherd and Chris Howsley will lead the attack. but need support. Warton’s small playing squad will again rely on Tom Barnfield and Alex Batson for runs, with Stuart Mayor marshalling his forces and getting the best out of players like Graeme Crowther, Jack Bolton and Jack Benson. Richard Neville leads Bare again, and like Warton will rely on familiar faces Andy Butler, Frank Smith, Archit Bhardwaj and Craig Albon and hope the Allison brothers continue to develop.

Holme return to the first Division. Since they last played at this level they have been boosted by the arrival of Brendan Herron and Joel Bibby from Netherfield and Robin Adams from Barrow. Unfortunately Herron may not play much because of injury, so Liam Teasdale will need to score runs alongside Richard Herron and Lee Barnes. Simon Shipperd, Bibby, Barnes and the extremely talented Kieran Hunter comprise an attack that should do well. Louis Armer joins from Trimpell. Holme finishing in the top half of the table for the first time since the 1980s wouldn’t be a surprise. Kirkby Lonsdale seem better prepared than they were last season. In James Royce they have one of the league’s best all-rounders, and if Harvey Williams, Mark Beaumont, James Greenall and Steve Williams can score the runs, their bowling attack with mystery spinner Andrew Metcalfe, Steve Beniston joining from Trimpell and Luke Troughton should see them finish in midtable.

With Westgate moving to the Palace Shield and Sedbergh School moving to Division 2, the rest of the Division is made up of the second teams from Carnforth, Kendal and Morecambe. All three have been working to strengthen their first team squads during the winter which should strengthen their second teams, but player availability is likely to determine which of the teams does well and which struggles.

Shireshead 2nds must be the favourites for the Second Division with a strong squad. Silverdale, Coniston and Ambleside are the most likely of the first teams to make a challenge for promotion. Milnthorpe asked to be relegated so they could bring on young players, but players like Mike Wills will win games.

In Division 3 Windermere will feel that they were unlucky to be relegated and Dan Sykes’ men could bounce back at the first time of asking, Leven Valley are expected to compete under new captain George Needham, and Burneside 2nds will benefit from their strengthened first team whilst Trimpell with Danny Halstead and Mark Baldwin should be up there.

Division 4 will be played exclusively on Sundays and the league is joined by Appleby Eden 3rds, Burneside 3rds, Heysham 3rds and Shireshead 4ths.

Fixtures (all matches start at 1pm unless otherwise stated)
Saturday April 15th

Division 1

Carnforth 2nds v Burneside
Heysham v Bare
Holme v Sedgwick 2pm
Kendal 2nds v Kirkby Lonsdale
Morecambe 2nds v Warton
Shireshead v Arnside 2pm

Division 2

Coniston v Milnthorpe
Netherfield 3rds v Silverdale
Sedbergh School 2nds v Shireshead
Sedgwick 2nds v Cartmel 2pm
Westgate 2nds v Ambleside 1.30pm

Division 3

Arnside 2nds v Windermere 2pm
Bolton le Sands v Leven Valley 2pm
Bare 2nds v Ingleton
Burneside 2nds v Galgate
Silverdale v Holme 2nds
Trimpell v Carnforth 3rds

Sunday April 16th
Division 2
Morecambe 3rds v Heysham 2nds