Lancashire’s Brown back in Competition

Nov 5 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

LANCASHIRE’S Karl Brown has agreed to play for Leigh in 2009.

The 20-year-old batsman has moved to Beech Walk after spending two seasons as professional for Central Lancashire League side Milnrow, and the ex-Northern player returns to the Liverpool Competition with an enhanced reputation.

Merseyside cricket fans had a prime opportunity to see Brown perform at first-class level when he made a fluent 73-ball 40 against Kent at Aigburth in only his second Championship innings for Lancashire. That knock helped his team to perhaps their most important victory of the 2008 season and the fact that it was sandwiched by a couple of noughts did nothing to lessen the high regard in which Lancashire manager Mike Watkinson holds the young cricketer.

“Karl didn’t actually get a bat in his first two games because of the weather, and when he did get in, it was on damp juicy wickets against high-quality seamers,” said Watkinson.

“What he did was to come back in the second innings of matches with a simple game plan to do okay and he will have gained a lot of experience from the games he played.”

That may mean that Leigh may not see too much of their new signing in First Division league matches next summer.