Cricket Club to give youth a spin (From Warrington Guardian)

Cricket Club to give youth a spin

WINSFORD Cricket Club's new captain Andy Cooper is looking to give youth players their big chance in the 1999 season.

He leads his team into their first Meller Braggins Cheshire Cricket League match at home to Weaverham this Saturday with a line-up virtually unchanged from last year.

Cooper will be looking at some of the younger players who made an impact in the second team last year, to boost squad numbers.

He said: "Like a lot of small local clubs, it's hard to attract good quality players so we're going with the same squad as we had last year. Some have come back to us, but we will be trying to bring on our youth through the ranks.

"We will be giving young players a chance when they are available and when we think it's right because if you put them in at the wrong time they can lose confidence. But there's definitely four or five we can bring through and give match experience."

Two players in contention are county players Richard Evers and Jonathan Millington, who made an impact in the second team last year.

Cooper has set his sights on a season of stability rather than a push for the title.

He said: "We finished in mid-table last year so we would hope to increase that and finish in the top four.

"Being such a small club we're not saying we're going to go out and win the league. We want to consolidate our position. We've got the players in the side to do that and that's the more realistic measure.

"We've had 20 to 25 attending our indoor nets. We've been trying a few new things and the players look to be on good form."

Paul Yearsley continues as vice-captain, while Chris Barraclough takes the helm of the second team, who start their campaign with the reverse fixture, away to Weaverham.

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