RASOOL'S THE MAN FOR AINSDALE

Date: 24th April 2014

A Paul Edwards copyright exclusive for L&DCC Official Website.

Promotion push this season

Ainsdale captain Dave Newcombe is hoping that former Burnley professional Adnan Rasool can spearhead his team’s attempt to win promotion to the ECB Premier League this summer.

The Liverpool Road club acted quickly last September when they discovered that the 32-year-old Pakistani off-spinner was available and Newcombe believes that Rasool’s Lancashire League experience will be vital in the First Division of the Liverpool Competition.

“While it was a joy to play cricket alongside Wasim Jaffer last year, my conviction is that you probably need a bowler if you are to win promotion,” he said. “A penetrative spinner changes the mindset of the opposition.

“The task this year is for our batsmen to find a way to put together totals which our bowlers can defend. But with Malcolm Swift, Nathan Heathcliff-Core and Nazim Mohammed to bowl seam and Adam Friar and Adnan as the two spinners, I think we have a very potent attack.”

Rasool, who took 171 league wickets in his last two seasons at Burnley, has an impressive recent record, but he is not the only new arrival at Liverpool Road. Shaun Vosloo and Rob Gamble have both signed from Hightown and Mark Foster has joined the club from Southport Trinity.

“The aim is to win promotion but the First Division is always so tight, particularly at the top of the league, and we also want to continue the transition to a younger generation which includes players like Andy Barlow, Tom Prescott and Andy Davies,” said Newcombe.

However both Newcombe and Malcolm Swift will be missing from the Ainsdale team in this Saturday’s fascinating First Division opener against much-changed Formby. Both players are serving suspensions.

In Newcombe’s absence, the multi-talented Barlow - coach, captain, batsman and lethal seamer – will lead the Liverpool Road side.