Watkins looks to bring in new faces

Oct 10 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

NEW BRIGHTON’S bid to win silverware next season will be boosted by the presence of an experienced county player and the best cricketer at one of South Africa’s most prestigious public schools.

Officials at Rake Lane have already clinched the signing of 25-year-old Cumberland all-rounder Alex Roberts, who was released by Essex this summer.

But in a further attempt to oust Ormskirk and Firwood Bootle from the top spots in the ECB Premier League, the Wirral side has also agreed that the most gifted non first-class cricketer at Affies (Afrikaans High School) in Pretoria will also be playing on Merseyside next year.

“I know it’s early days but our business is pretty much all done,” said New Brighton skipper Tim Watkins.

“Nobody’s leaving and we’ve decided to move away from the lottery of signing an overseas professional.”

“Alex is playing in Melbourne at the moment but he will open the bowling and bat high up the order for us in 2009. We also have a player lined up to join us from Affies, which is the old school of both A B de Villiers and Francois du Plessis.”