MP Sports Cherwell League

Division 1 preview

Oxford and Bletchingdon Nondescripts have made several excitings signings as they prepare for their first top-flight campaign since their merger in 2002.

Mark Strong will again captain last year’s Division 2 champions, who have recruited Cumnor duo Shabaz Alam and Ayaz Khan, Oxford paceman Zia Hamid, Jordan Gillies and Australian James Green.

With Ayaz and Shabaz moving on and Jimmy Nielsen joining Thame Town, Cumnor will have a new look. Eighteen-year-old opening batsman Matthew Lake and seamers Dave Harris and Dane Bailey have joined from Eynsham along with Oxford Brookes University left-arm spinner Joe Shillaker.

With skipper Sam Jones recovering from hernia surgery, Adam Cook will lead the side in the opening games.

Last year’s runners-up, Shipton-under-Wychwood have signed Jack Chapman (Falkland), Graham New-hook (Bourton Vale) and George Seacole (Witney Swifts) as they bid to go one better.

But they will be withoutCraig Lambert, who is emigrating to Australia.

Andy Harris takes over as Great & Little Tew captain with Anthony Smith returning to Australia.

Tew, who finished third last season, have signed Ashley Hubbert, a wicket-keeper/ batsman from Minster Lovell, and Liam Manley, a left-arm seamer from Banbury.

Darren Eyles, a former Oxfordshire youth all-rounder has also joined along with young Kidlington all-rounder Markus Jeacock.

Oxford Downs have signed wicket-keeper/batsman Oli Bailey, who has played for Wiltshire.

Bailey is in the RAF and is based at Brize Norton.

New Zealander Brad Sutherland captains Oxford 2nd this season.

The squad has been stren-gthened by Jack Stimpson’s move from Didcot and Peter Fuller’s signing from Oxford University.

Bourton Vale are set to field virtually a whole new first team after last year’s stormy campaign, which saw Mark Whitney banned until next year.

Also gone are skipper Paul Lazenbury, Jaimie Noble, Ryan Newhook, Graham Newhook, Joe Jenkins, Neil Ferreira, Kingsley Went and Charlie Garrett.

New captain Tom Arkell and Ryan Hill are the only survivors, with all-rounders Ed Shaw and Ben Hughes back in the fold.

Bletchley Town are boosted by the return of all-rounder James Sprittles, who missed virtually all last season with a broken hand.

They have signed Australian-born seamer Saxon Wright, and Raj Lall from New Bradwell.

Ed Packard is out with damaged cruciate ligaments, while spinner Wasim Fayyaz has left to re-join Wolverton and Amir Hussain has moved to London.

Buckingham Town’s Rob Large is taking a break from league action, while Lee Tomlinson has joined Tring Park and Dan Harris has moved to Northampton Saints.

But Twyford seamer Adam Bone, Stony Stratford all-rounder Simon Myatt and 18-year-old batsman Andrew Fletcher, from Wellington, New Zealand, have joined up.

Leighton Buzzard Town return to the top flight after an absence of ten years following back-to-back promotions.

Skipper Antony Francis will again be banking on his four-man pace attack and three spinners.