Whose recruitment will make them the top team in 2025?
With thanks to: Reg Nelson & the Gordon Rigg Bradford Premier League
Baildon
Baildon have been busy on the recruitment front on their return to the top flight.
They have signed Australian Callam Rainger as their overseas player – a batter who hit 62 not out from 38 balls in February for his club side Wyong District
It is obvious that Baildon are determined to give the Premier League a real go, but they will be seriously examined in their first league game against Woodlands.
First Team batter and player recruiter’ Will Kelly, is upbeat about how Baildon have gone about their business this close season-
“We’re feeling good about the season and looking forward to the challenges of the Premier.
We are realistic about the challenges of the Premier League and know that it’s going to be incredibly tough, but as a group of young and ambitious cricketers we’re looking forward to the opportunity to test ourselves against some of the best teams and players in club cricket.
“We feel like we have recruited well, and over the last couple of years especially, we have had a real focus on not just signing cricketers, but signing lads who are going to be part of the club and buy into the philosophy we have, not just in the first team but across the club as a whole.
“We are really proud to be one of (if not the only) team in the Premier League to have four men’s Saturday Teams every week alongside a Women’s team and a Mixed Ability side. We also have a 100 strong junior set up with teams at every age group and the club is in a strong place. As a first team, we are immensely proud that performances last year have meant that we are back in the Premier League where we believe our club belongs.
“We know that we don’t have the budget of any of the other clubs in the Premier League and so competing is going to be tough. Despite this, we’re happy with the recruitment over the winter.
“We have brought in Hector Bowerman from Follifoot who is coming in to open the batting. Hector scored over 800 runs last season in the Aire Wharfe League with a top score of 181 not out and an average of 56. He will add valuable runs at the top of the order. He is also someone who is a proven run scorer having scored over 2,000 runs over the last three seasons and has scored multiple centuries.
“We have also signed Will Smith from Settle. He is someone who will add depth to our first team and has valuable experience. He will add great depth with bat and ball, a left arm seamer who bowls with real pace and an innovative batter who will add valuable runs down the order.
“Pacemen Abdullah Ijaz has joined the club from Bowling Old Lane. He took over 40 wickets in Division One last season and proved himself as a real asset with the ball. He will join home-grown Sam Kelly with the new ball and between the pair they took over 70 wickets last season. Alongside our two spinners, they will form a strong bowling attack that amassed almost 200 wickets between them last season.
“We are hoping big Kev McDermott (above) will be able to have more of a role with the ball. He would add even more quality to the attack alongside Will Smith and overseas player Callum Rainger, who also bowls some leg spin.
“Speaking of Callum Rainger – we are really excited about the arrival of our overseas this year. Callum is a powerful batsman who is sure to light up Jenny Lane this year. He has also settled straight into the group online and everyone at the club is buzzing for him to arrive and get involved.”
“I think the four lads mentioned above will add real quality to the first team squad and we also have at least one more signing that we are waiting to announce before the season that we are also really excited about”.
“A big focus on recruitment has been not just building a team for this year, but also looking towards the next 5-10 years and bringing in lads who are going to buy into the club and be around for the future. We had a good atmosphere at the club last year and the first team is at the forefront. We are a young team who are only going to get better, and we are looking forward to going head-to-head with the big boys in the premier league.”
“We have managed to keep hold of the majority of last year’s first team which is a massive bonus. Raman Athwal has moved on to Pudsey Congs after two years with us and we wish him all the best next season and in his development, he is someone who we hope to see back at Jenny Lane one day and he will always be welcome at Baildon.”
Bradford & Bingley
Jacob Slater, left, who had a defining season with the bat last year, takes over as captain at Wagon Lane. Ed Brown has departed to New Farnley after a successful spell as captain, taking the club to two successive Priestley Cup finals.
Further departures are Matthew Duce (Pudsey Congs) and Jack Luxton to Steeton, as well as their crack overseas batsman Louren Steenkamp.
Jacob is quite upbeat about the coming season. “Starting with the incomings we’re delighted to have signed Ben Moffat from Finchampstead. Ben is a former teammate of mine through the Leeds Beckett University setup and will offer great value with the bat and the gloves.
“We are also delighted to have Rishi Chopra back fit this season. He looked so bright at the beginning of last year before sustaining an injury. Matthew Swallow makes the step up to join us this season having impressed massively last year and scored runs for fun for the 2nd XI. We’re hoping he can add to our already youthful and fearless side.
“On the overseas front, we’re closing in hopefully on a seamer who can offer us a bit of firepower down the order”.
Carlton
James Glynn, below, did well last season leading Carlton into the Premier League. However, he will realise that the hard work starts here in April, and he is under no illusions.
“This is the first time Carlton has played in the Premier League of the Bradford League, and we are excited about it,” he says. “We know it will be a big challenge, and I suppose if we avoid relegation it will be a success. But, we have enough about us to rise to the challenge, and we’ve been training hard since Christmas.
“We know that we will notice a big difference this year in terms of the fielding and game management.”
“We have a good overseas player lined up – an Indian top order batter who we hope will do well. We’ve signed James Van De Merwe from East Ardsley – who has scored many runs in the lower divisions and always seemed to do well against Carlton. He hasn’t played in the Premier division before, but he’s currently playing in South Africa and hopefully he will be in good touch.
“We’ve also signed fast bowler Nash Charles from Townville – a young player with a `high-ceiling’ in terms of development. He’ll bring a bit of youth to the team. He bowls at a brisk pace and can score useful runs down the order”.
Cleckheaton
The big news at Moorend is the retention of free scoring Yousaf Baber who is such a match-winner for the club.
Skipper James Stansfield, below, recently said: “Yousaf likes the club, and we look after him. As good as he is, we are looking for improvement, like we are in every other player. He hit 750 runs in the first half of the season, but his aggregate stalled a bit at 950 at the end”.
The 2025 side will be boosted by some shred additions. “We’ve signed wicket/keeper batter Eitan Litvin who did well when he played at Methley” says Stansfield. “He’s netting with Oxfordshire now and will probably play Minor-Counties for them. Ian Carradice, who did a tremendous job for us last season, will drop into the seconds.”
“We’ve lost Muhammed Akmal who did decent for us, but the travelling hampered him really. His replacement is young prospect Aaron Ratnalingam who we have signed from New Rover. He’s a big strapping lad and he’s shaping up very well in the indoor nets. His driving is looking good, and he’s reverse sweeping the spinners.”
“Brad (Sylvester) is looking good, and he’s developing into an authentic batsman. He had a score of 60-odd towards the end of the season last year, and he’ll get more of them.
“It’s all looking good, we are all working hard in the nets, and the players are in tune with what’s happening in the club. They all attended a recent club dinner which augers very well for the season.
“We’ve a lot of young lads who are learning all the time. Jack, my son, is the next in line to break through to the First Team, but he’ll be added only when he’s ready.
“Left arm swing bowlers are like gold dust, and to get in the Second Team Bowling Averages top 10 at 15 is encouraging. But he needs to build on that.
“His time will come, and I think he’s playing T20s for the first team this season”
Farsley
Farsley could well be dark horses this season given their two impressive signings, and their ability to take the field with their two stars of last season Joe Pocklington and Ben Wright.
The wise word in the street in Bradford Premier League circles is that Farsley will be a real threat this season.
They have signed prolific run-getter Tim Lloyd from Wimbledon, and opening bowler Calum Fletcher, who made such a good impression at Undercliffe in 2024.
With the likes of Ryan Cooper, Chris Beech and Stanley Brown also in their batting order, there will be potentially some serious runs to be had.
Skipper Ben Wright, above, who has made such a good impression at Red Lane with both bat and ball, is quietly confident about the coming campaign.
Ben says: “We are quite excited about our prospects this season and aim to finish in a high position at the very least. We didn’t expect to be so low last season fighting in a relegation battle, but the side stuck together and enjoyed the cricket. It’s got to be said that we lost a few very close games and at the end of the day there are no easy matches in this league.
“Obviously, the retention of players is all important, and we still have Joe (Pocklington) who had a phenomenal season and is still trying to carve out a career in county cricket. He did play a few games for Yorkshire 2ndXI last season, scoring 60 on one occasion.”
He added: “We are delighted to sign batsman Tim Lloyd, who has played for Surrey 2ndXI and averaged over 50 last season in the Surrey Premier League for Wimbledon. We’ve also signed seamer Calum Fletcher from Undercliffe. He’s a good bowler and will release me somewhat from bowling duties. I love bowling, but it’s difficult batting high, opening the bowling and skippering the side.
“Our batting looks strong with Harry Duke hopefully playing more frequently than last season. We also have Ryan Cooper, who has been around the league now for several years scoring runs, and opener Chris Beech who will also be available more often. Coming in later we have Stanley Brown who is the perfect man to score quick runs down the order. In our season’s defining win against Bradford & Bingley he scored a remarkable 124 not out.
“We know Woodlands will be tough, despite their rebuilding and New Farnley will be up there and so will Jer Lane.”
Jer Lane
Jer have lost their opener Mosun Hussain to Woodlands, and he is going to be very difficult to replace. Another key player they have lost is all-rounder Cosmond Walters who has joined Slaithwaite
In the rebuilding process their most noteworthy capture is Usman Arshad from New Farnley, and if he steers clear from the injuries, could be a real all round asset.
Skipper Yasir Ali (above) acknowledges that Hussain’s 800-plus runs will be a real miss for them, but he is happy with the make-up of his new look side.
“We’ll miss Mosun, but we still have Adal Islam and off spinner Amir Hussain who finished second in the league bowling averages, as the cornerstone of the side. We’ve signed Sabir Mahmood from Pudsey Congs, and welcome back Farakh Hussain from Yeadon.
“We are delighted with our overseas capture Ahsan Bhatti, who plays First Class cricket in Pakistan and is a genuine all-rounder. He’s a left arm spin bowler and will bat in the top five for us.”
Yasir concludes by saying: “It isn’t always about who has got the best players- it’s about the team ethic and being positive, and we are there with that. We are practicing our skills and working hard on our fitness.
” It’s a tough league and there are some good teams- New Farnley, Farsley and Woodlands will be up there. Tim Jackson’s retirement was a real blow for Woodlands. He was always there battling in the crease.”
Methley
Jared Warner, is happy to start the campaign with the same lads as last season. He said: “We competed well last year and matched the top sides on occasion. It could be said that we were in a good position to beat Woodlands twice in the league, but, on the day it wasn’t to be.
“We want to give our own lads the opportunity to take the club further. Last year could be seen as a development season for the young lads who all came through the Methley system. We want to ultimately win trophies with them, maybe a cup”.
“We have Taylor Cornell back, despite overtures from other clubs, so we are delighted about that. He is a class act” .
New Farnley
New Farnley’s big close season signing is the hard-hitting former Bradford & Bingley skipper Ed Brown. He led his former club to two successive Priestley Cup Finals, and his experience could be key in his new club retaining the title. Their overseas player is yet to be announced, but they are in the process of ratifying the signing of a First-Class Indian seamer.
A lot of the attention will be focussed on seamers Alex Lilley and Yasir Abbas, who both suffered injury problems last season.
Skipper Lilley, below, seems relatively unconcerned about that. “We are all training hard and are fully fit. With me it’s a case of wear and tear- I did an awful lot of bowling in my early Yorkshire Representative days, and it does catch up,” he says..
Lilley modestly brushes aside his batting success of last year when he averaged 59.70 in the league. “I had to bat more correctly further up the order when needs must. In my earlier days I was recognised as a batter if not a batting specialist”.
As for the team make-up this season he adds; “I am happy we have kept changes to a minimum. It’s good to have the continuity, and it’s another season under the belt for the newer players. For instance, Fletcher Coutts really excelled towards the end of last season.
“It’s an even stronger league this year. Woodlands have made changes, but it will probably be only a short rebuilding process. Methley are strong and their talented younger players like Alex Cree and Jake Smart will have learnt a lot from last year. Farsley look to be strong and could well benefit from less Yorkshire call-ups”.
“There are other strong sides too. Townville have 11 proper cricketers and the stronger characters in the team will ensure a good dressing-room. Pudsey St Lawrence will be strong too after re-signing their overseas Campbell Kellaway and Tom Clee from Woodlands.”
Pudsey St Lawrence
The Saints’ big signing is all-rounder Tom Clee from deposed champions Woodlands. A hard-hitting middle order batsman, he will also bring a disciplined `line & length’ to the middle overs in the field.
This is an astute signing, particularly with the loss of left arm seamer Charlie Parker to Otley. An earlier capture was Jersey International opening bowler George Richardson.
They have also signed a young all-rounder in Archie Phillipson from Settle who in his time has represented Yorkshire at U-10s right through to U-16s.
The loss of Charlie Parker and Josh Dracup will be a blow to their pace attack, but they have been boosted by the return of overseas batter Campbell Kellaway.
Kellaway is a first-class cricketer who represented Australia at the 2022 ICC U19 World Cup. Last season the left-handed batsman was a force to be reckoned with at Tofts Road and in 12 games he scored 569 runs at 63.22.
His early return home due to injury was a huge blow for the club, but a full season in 2025 could see the club in the upper reaches of the table under new captain Barrie Frankland.
Barrie Frankland is taking over as Pudsey St Lawrence’s captain Picture: Ray Spencer
Townville
Townville were slightly off the pace last season in the title race, but they are always a force to contend with and new captain Jonny Booth, above, will be keen to see is side challenge for honours.
They will have to challenge without their two major players of last season, namely, Dushan Vimukthi and Chris Holliday who scored 2,018 league runs between them. Vimukthi was also a major wicket-taker with his spin.
However, if the Collins brothers (Liam & Kieran), signed from Woodlands, make an impact, they could be somewhere thereabouts. They also have Matty Race’s from Ossett – an all-rounder who can score quick runs with the bat, and capable of turning the ball when asked.
Conor Harvey will again be the spearhead of their seam bowling with Tom Chippendale and new captain Jonny Booth supporting him.
The traditional trio of Jonny Booth, Jack Hughes and Harvey will ensure a competitive spine for the team while there will be high hopes that new overseas player Dulaj Ashen proves as successfuyl as his predecessor Dusham Vimukthi.
Undercliffe
Undercliffe will be looking to have a good season to celebrate their 150th anniversary as a cricket club with a strong performance under the leadership of Bailey Worcester. However, they will have to do it without their successful opening bowlers of last year, Zeeshan Qasim and Calum Fletcher.
They have replaced them with a couple of bowlers who allegedly possess real pace. They have signed Amir Shahzad from Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League club Cawthorne, and Fasih Ul Hussain Tariq who has joined from Greater Manchester League outfit Austerlands.
Undercliffe’s overseas berth is filled by 18-year-old New Zealander Cooper Harrison Tubb who comes as a top order batter. He plays for North Shore in his native country – a club that his new colleague Jude Roberts has also played at.
Another teenager, 18-year-old Tanay Avhad, has joined the Intake Road club. He is a leg spin bowler who hopes to develop his game in the rarefied atmosphere of the Bradford Premier League. He joins from South Hampstead.
The injection of new young blood could well help to maintain their healthy consolidation season of 2024.
Woodlands
Woodlands might have relinquished the title last season to New Farnley, but they did gather silverware in the shape of the Priestley Cup. A major rebuild for 2025 could hinder their chances of regaining the title. However, they have not been idle on the recruitment front and have made several shrewd signings.
Dashing batters Liam Collin and Kieran Collins have joined title rivals Townville, while all-rounder Tom Clee has departed to Pudsey St Lawrence. Arguably their greatest loss is the consistent opener Tim Jackson who has retired despite averaging over 50 last season.
His direct replacement is the left-handed Matty Weston from Barkisland who won the Huddersfield Premier League Batting Averages last season with 1,051 runs at 52.55. His opening partner will be another new signing in Mosun Hussain from Jer Lane who was one of the leading scorers in the league last year with Jer Lane after a prolific time at Delph & Dobcross.
Another signing is young all rounder Henry Pearson who has developed well in recent years at Birstall and latterly Ossett. He will be the frontline off spinner in the team and occupy a key middle order batting position.
Woodlands have been frustrated in their quest to sign a No.5 after the departure of Tom Clee and have promoted the reliable Cieran Garner from the seconds.
However, with Brad Schmulian back again as captain they should remain a threat and play attractive cricket.
CREDIT: Reg Nelson & the Gordon Rigg Bradford Premier League
