With the first block of pink ball fixtures now complete, I’m just going to do a summary and share my own opinions of how things stand in Premier A after the first 6 games. I will give each team a mark out of 10 for how their season is going so far, and also a breakdown on leading run scores and wicket takers. I will also point out a player to watch for each team in the red ball segment.
- Moddershall – Won 5, Lost 1, 108 Points – 9/10.
Moddershall have made an impressive start to the campaign. A solitary defeat to Eccleshall when they lost a crucial toss on a wet afternoon has been their only blemish so far this season.
Muaaz Ahmed has made 291 runs at an average of 58.2 so far. He has scored two hundreds and made one fifty-plus score as he sits 3rd in the run-scoring charts.
Danushka Sandaruwan has claimed 14 wickets @ 6.14 with his impressive left-arm spin.
Moddershall have got plenty of talent in their stocks too. Callum and Joe Hawkins, Sam Atkinson and Jacob Garlick have all represented Staffordshire so far this summer. They’re going to be tough to catch if you ask me. If they continue to play as well as they are doing at the moment.
Player to watch: Sam Kelsall- The Staffordshire opener is a quality opening bat, and when the games get longer, he’s got more time to build an innings. He’s prepared to bat for long periods of time and has a solid defence. He offers another bowling option too, with his accurate medium pacers.
- Checkley – Won 4, Lost 2, 102 Points – 8/10.
Checkley should be top of the table; a batting collapse that led to a 4-run defeat against Stone two weeks ago is the reason they aren’t. Their professional has not yet arrived, and they have been playing without one since Bryce Parsons moved on after 3 games.
Despite only playing 3 games, Parsons is the leading run scorer in the division with 360 runs at an average of 120 after he made 115 against Leek and followed it up with a remarkable 220 against Meakins the week after.
James Kettleborough sits in 2nd place with 347 runs at an average of 57.83, which has included two fifties and a mammoth 145 against Longton.
James Abbotts is in 5th place with 234 runs at an average of 46.8, which has included two fifties.
Richard Cooper leads the way with the ball. He’s taken 12 wickets @ 11.17 as he continues to show his class.
If Checkley are going to challenge for the title, they need more runs from their middle order. They have already collapsed numerous times this season after good starts, and they cannot afford to keep doing this. Nils Priestley needs to step up, as he’s been short of runs so far this season.
Player to watch: Richard Cooper- The veteran opening bowler is going to play a huge part when play switches back to the red ball format. He’ll be needed to bowl sides out in the win/lose/draw format if they’re to mount a serious title challenge.
- Hem Heath – Won 4, Lost 1, and 1 Abandonment, Points 96 – 7.5/10.
The rain cost them a chance to beat Leek when they’d got first innings runs on the board. They’ve had an excellent start and only a defeat against Castle two weeks ago blots their card.
The instrumental Liam Banks leads the way with the bat. He’s made 258 runs at an average of 43 with one fifty and the monstrous 152 he made against Audley in week 1 as he sits 4th on the run scoring list.
Greg Prime has taken 11 wickets @ 8 with his probing left arm spin.
Hem Heath need to find some middle-order runs if they’re going to challenge for the title. The talented Callum Leese has been short of runs, along with professional Bilawal Bhatti, who’s made a slow start with both bat and ball. If everything clicks for Hem Heath, they’re very capable of beating any side in the division.
Player to Watch: Callum Leese- I watched him score an immaculate century for Staffordshire last week, but he just hasn’t got going in the league yet. A very destructive batsman on his day, he’s capable of scoring runs against any attack in any conditions. He bowls useful off-spin too.
- Eccleshall – Won 4, Lost 2, 94 Points – 8/10.
It’s been a fantastic all-round team effort from Eccleshall so far this summer. There has been no standout player; everyone has just done their bit when they’ve needed to. They’ve adjusted to life back at the top table superbly, and they’ll be delighted with their start.
Myles Coughlan has made 157 runs at an average of 31.4 as he’s been very reliable in the middle order.
Matthew Wright has been excellent with the new ball. He’s taken 13 wickets @ 14.23. He’s been well supported by Eranga Dissanagge, who’s claimed 12 wickets @ 7.58 as Eccleshall’s bowling hasn’t really missed a beat so far.
If they could find some more top-order runs, which seems to be a recurring theme in this article, they could just be the surprise package of the summer.
Chris Plant has made a steady but not spectacular start to the summer, and the young professional Murvin Abinash has looked good at times, but they’ve just lacked that big score at the top of the order.
Player to watch: Eranga Dissanagge- A very talented batsman who hasn’t quite hit his straps yet this summer. I’ve seen a lot of him bat over the years, and I’m convinced he’s capable of big runs at this level. His off-spin is also another useful weapon.
- Meakins – Won 3, Lost 3, 89 Points – 7/10.
It’s been a mixed bag from Meakins so far this season. When they’ve been good, they’ve been very good, but when they’ve been bad, they’ve been really bad. They’ve mixed convincing wins with crushing defeats at times.
Pete Wilshaw has made 210 runs at an average of 35 with one score over fifty as he sits 7th on the run-scoring list.
Karl High has taken 12 wickets @ 25.42 as he’s led the attack well with the new ball in his hand. Simon Mugava has offered support with 9 wickets @ 25.56 with his canny off-breaks.
Meakins need to be more consistent if they are going to mount a serious title charge. They are more than capable of putting a run of victories together and mounting a charge from nowhere. Sam Moores and Oliver Tucker have both been short of runs at the top of the order as they’ve struggled to get the team off to a good start consistently.
Player to watch: Jalat Khan- A very capable batsman who hasn’t quite made the runs he’s capable of so far this summer. He’ll get them quickly, as he’s a very clean ball striker when he gets going. His left-arm spin will come into the summer more as the pitches begin to wear, and the matches get longer.
- Newcastle and Hartshill – Won 3, Lost 3, 89 Points – 6.5/10.
Castle had won back-to-back matches before their defeat to Porthill at the weekend, as they’ve made a mixed start to the season.
Kasun Ekanayaka has made 180 runs at an average of 36 with two fifties to sit 10th on the run-scoring list. He’s looked good with the bat in his hand, and he’s become accustomed to digging his side out of holes when they’ve lost early wickets almost constantly this summer.
Joe Thorne has taken 15 wickets @ 11.6. He’s been the standout bowler of the division, in my opinion. He’s bowled quickly and genuinely troubled top-order batsmen with the new ball. He bowled Liam Banks with an absolute snorter in the game I watched at Hem Heath.
If Castle are to move up the table, they need runs from their top order. Jon Gidman, Ryan Hassett and Rohan Vallabhaneni have all been well short of runs so far this summer. They’ve regularly been 2 or 3 down inside the first 5 overs, and you just cannot afford to keep doing that at this level. It puts immense pressure on the middle and lower order.
Player to watch: Harry Bailey- A very dangerous lower-order batsman who can take a game away from a team in the blink of an eye. He hasn’t really had the platform to do that yet, but he has been making vital lower-order runs to keep his side in games. His off-spin is also a very useful weapon in tandem with Joe Thorne’s out-and-out pace.
- Stone – Won 3, Lost 3, 88 Points – 6/10.
A scratchy start from the champions. They’ve relied heavily on professional Warrick Fynn as they’ve not been able to string a run of consistent performances together.
Fynn has scored 233 runs at an average of 46.6 and taken 13 wickets @ 14.38 as he’s been ever reliable in a side that’s not been at its best.
Jack Harvey has made 186 runs at an average of 31 with a top score of 86 in the victory against Castle earlier in the season.
Stone really need to step things up a notch or else they’re going to be looking behind them before they know it. They have to give Fynn more support with the bat and the ball because he can’t do it all on his own. The middle of the table is very tightly packed, and two wins could catapult you up the table at a moment’s notice. James Green and Reid Taylor haven’t quite got the wickets they would have liked either.
Player to watch: Sam Graham- The former captain is a proper red-ball opener. He’s prepared to occupy the crease and bat for long periods of time as others score runs around him. He’s got a solid defence and doesn’t mind leaving the ball alone early on. If he can get Stone off to a solid start, it will give the talented middle order a chance to build competitive totals.
- Audley – Won 3, Lost 3, 77 Points – 6/10.
Audley are another side in the mid-table log jam where 12 points separate 5 teams. They have had an up and down start to the season.
Ali Hamza Waseem has scored 177 at an average of 35.4 with two fifties, as he looks very stylish when he’s at the crease. He has also claimed 11 wickets @ 9.64 with his testing left-arm spin.
Audley need more with the bat and the ball if they are to move up the table. They’ve got plenty of talent within their side, Jack Redman and Ash Rogers have been short of runs so far and are capable of much more. Rob Hemmings and Ed Jones are excellent all-rounders who’ve got lots of Premier League experience.
Player to watch: Freddie Doorbar- I was impressed when I saw him bat at Stone. He’s got a good technique and has plenty of potential. His off-breaks could come into their own if the pitches begin to turn too.
- Porthill – Won 2, Lost 4, 77 Points – 6/10.
Not the start they’d have wanted after only just avoiding the drop last season. They lost a game they should have won against Longton earlier in the season, and a win against Castle last week ended a run of 4 successive defeats. This should give them confidence moving forward.
Lakshitha Manasinghe has scored 206 runs at an average of 41.2 as he sits 8th on the run-scoring list.
Matt Coxon has scored 174 runs at an average of 43.5 with two fifties. He’s also taken 15 wickets @ 12.67 as he is the division’s leading wicket taker alongside Joe Thorne. Left-armer Ben Holt has taken 13 wickets @ 18.77 as he’s provided good support with the new ball.
Porthill require more top-order runs. It’s as simple as that, you can’t win games without them. They’ve got Tom Steele and John Hancock, who are more than capable of 500-plus runs. Oliver Shirley also looks useful in the middle order.
Player to watch: Tom Longworth – Looks very good and has moved up to open the batting in recent weeks. He made 71* last week to help them to a vital victory. He’s got plenty of talent, and he’ll need to show it if Porthill want to move up the league.
- Leek – Won 2, Lost 3, 1 Abandonment, 74 Points – 5/10.
They’ve been poor so far this summer. They were unlucky to lose a close game against Checkley in the opening round, despite their bowlers almost pulling off a remarkable victory. They secured a comfortable victory against Eccleshall last week to give them some breathing room over the bottom two. They’ve been hampered by the loss of Rory Haydon to Derbyshire as he continues to make his way in the first-class game, but with all their resources, they should be higher up the league.
Matt Morris has scored 169 runs at an average of 56.33 as he’s shown his class at times with the bat. He’s backed that up with 11 wickets @ 14.82 with the ball. Shropshire’s Anis Raza has taken 12 wickets @ 13.92 with his left-arm spin.
Leek will need more from their big players. Hamaiz Mahmood has had a very poor start. Tom Moulton is another who’s been short of runs, but Leek need more with the new ball. Josh Hudson and Greg Willott haven’t quite been at the races yet this summer.
Player to watch: Alex Mellor – The immensely talented left-hander hasn’t hit his usual high standards yet this summer. He is very capable of much more with the bat, and he’ll be disappointed he hasn’t made runs so far. He’s a big piece of the Leek jigsaw as he is captain and probably the best gloveman in the league.
- Whitmore – Won 1, Lost 5, 54 Points – 2/10.
A first victory last weekend against Longton saved them from going winless in the pink ball segment. They’ve struggled to adjust to life back in the Premier League after some time away. Hopefully, last week’s win will give them some confidence moving forward because they’ve got an almighty battle on their hands if they’re to avoid the drop after their poor start.
Saad Qureshi has made 111 runs at an average of 18.5 as he’s been the only player to stand up with the bat so far. He made a crucial 53 in last week’s game when all hope looked lost.
Dilesh Gunarathne has taken 12 wickets @ 14 with his impressive left-arm seamers. He’s been backed up by Bilal Hussain, who’s also claimed 12 wickets @ 12.17 with his impressive left-arm spin.
Whitmore will need to step things up if they are to survive. They need more runs to back up their bowlers. Caleb Mierkalns, Danyal Hussain and Ryan Roberts have all looked very short on runs so far. They have highly rated youngsters who need to prove themselves at some point.
Player to watch: Dilesh Gunarathne – He looked very impressive when I saw him with the new ball at the weekend. He’s got a big inswinger and bowls at a decent pace. The switch to the red ball, where the ball does more for longer, could be a big help to him. He’s a capable lower-order batter too; he strikes the ball cleanly and can find the boundary with ease. He definitely shouldn’t be batting at number 11.
- Longton – Won 1, Lost 5, 45 Points – 1/10.
It’s been a disastrous start for Longton, and it wasn’t helped when they threw away a winning position against Whitmore at the weekend, as they just haven’t been at the races so far this summer. A tight victory over Porthill in week 3 has been their only success so far.
Tom Hope has scored 121 runs at an average of 20.17 as Longton have struggled with the bat.
Brodie Mack has taken 8 wickets @ 18.63 with his useful off-spin. He’s been supported by left-arm spinner Matheesha Perera, who also has 8 wickets @ 19.88
Longton will need to up their game; there’s no question about that, as they’ve struggled for runs at the top of the order. The talented Andrew Coxon has had a poor start, with only one half-century to his name as yet. Dane Tinsley and Alex Thorley have both had quiet starts to their campaigns. If Longton are to survive, they’ll need a lot more from their big players.
Player to watch: Brodie Mack – He bowls decent off-spin, and he is capable of batting higher up the order, in my opinion. He’s got plenty of talent, and Longton will need to see it sooner rather than later.
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