New additions with the skipper!

It’s been a really busy winter with lots of comings and goings in the first team. I firstly want to say a huge thanks to all 4 lads who have departed. Not only are they all 4 great cricketers, they are also 4 super blokes who will missed by everybody at the club!

Losing 4 players before you have recruited 1 is daunting, but we have worked incredibly hard to recruit 4 new players who will make a huge difference to the squad this summer. One of those is Ben Claydon who is a tremendous acquisition for our club. Ben lives locally in Cambridge, he works or is friends with the majority of the squad and someone I have know for a very long time. He has always performed well against us and is a huge part of the Suffolk CCC team. His ability with the bat and ball will be crucial to the team but the club will massively benefit from him taking on the responsibility with junior coaching. We have lacked a clear face/person to bridge the gap between the junior and senior section, and Ben being a super coach and player is the perfect person to provide this.

Youssef Choudary is an exciting young player who has been incredibly impressive in winter nets so far. He is clearly a very talented but both Callum and I were incredibly impressed by his desire to step up to Premier League level and wanting to improve his cricket. He has a clear goal to go on and play minor counties cricket and beyond , and I really feel we can play a part in helping him get there!

I am delighted for us to finally welcome Kieren Mackenzie to the club. After a couple of near misses with Kieren I am delighted he will be finally representing the club this year. He is someone who offers with bat, ball and in the field and certainly fits the mould of player we like to recruit. He is young, hungry keen to do well and he will be a real exciting asset for us.

Finally we have also recruited Leicestershire batsmen Louis Kimber. We have gained an awful lot as a squad by having a first class player attached over the last few years. Especially last season with Nathan Buck who made a hugely positive impact for us. First Class players really help drive standards and everyone has to raise their game in order to match what they would expect and I know how much the club benefits as a whole from the attachment to a professional player. As Louis is a 3 format player for Leicestershire we don’t expect to have him for many more than 6/7 games but he will be a huge asset when he is available.

If you are anything like me you are counting down the days until the weather turns and summer arrives!