Yorkshire Premier League North

In the Yorkshire Premier League North, here is an overview of player moves and overseas signings from the ECB Premier Division.

Defending champions Castleford have signed Byron Grant, from Yorkshire Southern Premier League club Conisbrough, and Simon Parker, latterly with Carlton, of the Bradford Premier League.

Calum Rowe will captain Cas this year. He took over from the hugely experienced David Wainwright last season, and now aims to build on 2023’s achievements. “It’s an exciting time for the club, as a whole,” he said.

Promoted Hull Zingari’s overseas signing is talented Pakistani Mubasir Khan.

The batting all-rounder, from Rawalpindi, has scored over 1,400 first-class runs at an average of 38, along with 69 wickets at an economy of 3.14.

Two other recruits further strengthen the bowling attack of Zingari, second in 2023 to Championship East winners Woodhouse Grange Second XI, ineligible for promotion.

They are Connaire Brattain, from Pocklington, and Mark Johnson, from Hedon-based South Holderness.

Last season, for Pock, Brattain took 41 wickets at an economy of 3.8 and returned best figures of 7-30.

During his career in the league, Johnson has more than 380 wickets, at a 3.44 economy, to his credit, and is capable of hitting handy lower-order runs.

Jack Shutt has swapped Yorkshire Southern Premier League Doncaster Town for a fresh opportunity at Harrogate, where he will be the club’s domestic professional.

Shutt has represented Yorkshire across all formats. An off-spin bowler, Shutt’s bowling average in List A cricket is 29.13 and in the T20 format it is 20.43. His career-best figures of 5-11 came against Durham in the T20 Blast.

He said: “I’ve always been impressed by the Harrogate set-up. It’s one of the top clubs in the county. The plans for the club and its facilities going forward are exciting. It’s definitely one of the best places I could play and train to develop my game outside of professional cricket.”

Harrogate have made a clutch of other signings, which includes, from Aire-Wharfe League New Rover, attacking batter and medium pace bowler Peter Greenfield.

Greenfield has played Yorkshire age group cricket and has represented the North of England at Under-15 level. Recently, he secured selection for Yorkshire’s 2024 Emerging Player programme. Greenfield believes joining Harrogate is a “good step forward” in his “aim to progress in cricket”.

George Owram, the Harrogate club’s joint chair, said: “Peter is a marvellous young talent. The addition of Peter to our squad demonstrates we put junior players and junior development at the very heart of our cricket strategy.”

Sam Ambler, a top-order batter and a right-arm medium-fast bowler, heads to St George’s Road from Nidderdale League Masham, whom he had captained. For several seasons, Ambler has been a standout performer in the Nidderdale competition.

Asked about his ambitions with Harrogate, Ambler said: “To put in good performances in the second team and to push for a place in the first team.”

After a successful spell at Beckwithshaw, of the Aire-Wharfe League, Hector Hamill has linked up with Harrogate.

A stylish, elegant, top-order batter, and an off-spin bowler, Hamill has represented Yorkshire at various age groups. He will be a member of Harrogate’s first and second team squad.

Will Bates, first team captain, said: “Hector is a brilliant prospect. It is already clear from seeing him this winter that he has the foundations and ambition to go very far in the game. We hope that we can help Hector continue to develop, and we also look forward to seeing him score a lot of runs this season.”

Sri Lankan Ishan Abeysekara, leading wicket-taker, with 55, in the Yorkshire Premier League North last season, returns for a fifth term as Harrogate’s overseas professional.

Scarborough, who in 2023 only narrowly avoided relegation, after a fraught campaign, have brought in James Boyes. Last year, he took 54 wickets, at 10.85, for Scarborough Beckett League club Ebberston.

Joining Boyes at North Marine Road will be right-hand batter Harry Walmsley.

In 2023, Walmsley amassed over a thousand runs, at 45.26, for league rivals Folkton & Flixton. Scarborough expect Walmsley to pep up their run-scoring effort.

Sri Lankan Gihan Koralage is Scarborough’s 2024 overseas recruit. Back home, he plays first-class cricket for Badureliya Sports Club. Whilst at Scarborough, Koralage will assist with coaching the club’s junior section and make coaching visits to local schools.

Former Scotland Under-18s player Gregor Fraser has linked up with Scarborough. After spells with the Arbroath and the Scalby clubs, Fraser returns to Yorkshire after a season in Australia, where he took 15 wickets at 24.5 and scored 283 runs at 21.

Stamford Bridge’s 2024 overseas player will be Australian Dylan McLachlan, an opening batsman and a wicketkeeper.

Back home, McLachlan plays club cricket for the prestigious Valley District club, members of the Queensland Premier Cricket competition. In first grade cricket this past season, McLachlan averaged over 40 with the bat.

After spending a season with league rivals Middleton & North Dalton, top-order batsman James Pick has returned to Stamford Bridge, to be captained by Matty Beckett.

Pick spent three seasons with the Battle Axes, and was part of the team which, in 2022, secured the Championship division title and a return to the top-flight.

After a successful winter in Australia, all-rounder Chris Wood, a talented, right-hand batsman, has joined Stamford Bridge from league rivals Woodhouse Grange.

Other recruits at Low Catton Road are Hamza Khan, from Yorkshire Southern Premier League Cleethorpes, and two players from league rivals who were relegated last season: Ben Hatfield (Beverley Town) and Luke Smith (Malton & Old Malton).

Sheriff Hutton Bridge have unveiled world-class batting all-rounder Manan Vohra as their 2024 professional.

Playing with and against some of the planet’s best cricketers, Bridge’s Chandigarh-born recruit has made 56 appearances, across several seasons, in the Indian Premier League.

Vohra’s IPL experience includes spells with Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants.

Bridge have further augmented their squad with the signing, from Nidderdale League Ouseburn, of all-rounder Jonty Moorhouse.

Bridge believe Moorhouse has strong foundations and a proven track record, and are looking forward, over the next few years, to seeing him maximise his potential.

Also brought in is slow left-arm bowler Dean Coote, who had a solid season, in 2023, with relegated Malton & Old Malton.

Coote took 41 wickets in 2022 as Malton & Old Malton won promotion from the league’s Championship division.

Sessay have turned to Malton & Old Malton to bring in leg-spin bowler Harrison Wood, who bagged 30 top-flight wickets last season.

Promoted Easingwold have signed Queenslander Sam Pearson, a right-arm all-rounder.

Pearson has played for the Bundaberg-based Brothers club since he was eight, and is a previous recipient of the Bundaberg Cricket Association’s coveted Tallon Medal, awarded to the Division One Player of the Year.

Pearson took two wickets as Brothers beat Easts, by 104 runs, in the 2024 Division One Grand Final, a day-night game on March 17, thereby clinching back-to-back titles. His most recent season stats reveal 27 wickets at 22.59 and 639 runs at 35.5.

Joining Pearson at Back Lane will be left-arm bowling all-rounder Elliott Precious, who has been acquired from divisional rivals Clifton Alliance.

Precious’s career stats are 184 wickets at 24.97 and 2,702 runs at 21.28.