Ambitious Oxford & Horspath CC have boosted their playing resources for the new season following a busy winter recruitment drive.

Oxfordshire all-rounder Adam Cook has been snapped up from Cumnor together with Oxon Colts Ian Crosby and wicket-keeper Shazad Rana.

Shazad's brother, Mohsin, the Rover Cowley pace bowler, has also joined Oxford.

And the city club have recruited two players new to the area - Cornwall seamer David Angove and Australian quickie Nick Orr, who has spent the last two seasons playing as a semi-pro for Buckhurst in Essex.

Angove, who played for Essex in 1993 and 1994, has moved to Oxfordshire to teach at Marlborough School, Woodstock. He has also played for Barnt Green in the Birmingham League.

Orr, meanwhile, played A-grade cricket for Southern District back in Australia, and doesn't count as an overseas player, having spent the last two years in England.

Rupert Evans, who was re-elected as 1st XI captain at a recent players' meeting, believes he now has the squad to go one better than last season when Oxford finished runners-up in Home Counties Premier League Division 2 West.

He said: "We consider the players we have recruited to be a real coup especially as none of them are going to be receiving any payments from the club."

And he added: "Adam Cook was capped towards the end of last season by Oxfordshire and he is one of the best players in the team now.

"Not only is he going to be a great addition to our team because he is left-handed, but he is a real match-winner with both bat and ball.

"We just hope he is going to be good for us, and I am confident we will help him especially in terms of his bowling.

"Crosser has been a prolific scorer in Oxfordshire youth cricket, and Shazad had a really good season for the Colts.

"Mohsin played for the Oxfordshire Development XI last year. He has a lot of untapped ability and we hope we can bring that out."

Evans was also delighted to recruit two players new to the area.

"David Angove has got a lot of experience opening the bowling for Cornwall, and Nick Orr has played grade cricket in Australia," he added.

Julian Lawton Smith will captain the 2nd XI, who won promotion to Division 2 of The Oxford Times Cherwell League last season, with Ian Pickford taking charge of the 3rd XI in Division 6, while Richard Summers skippers the 4th XI in Division 7.

Meanwhile, Oxford begin their build-up to the new season with ten weeks of circuit training at Oxford School, starting on Wednesday, January 23 (7-8pm).

Net sessions have been arranged at Oxford Brookes University, starting in March.