SOUTHPORT TRINITY STRENGTHEN AFTER ENJOYING THEIR FIRST YEAR

Date: 18th November 2016

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

Smith and Van der Walt return to the Rookery

Having strayed near the relegation place in the Liverpool Competition’s third tier towards the end of last season Southport Trinity eventually finished seventh in the Second Division, well clear of danger and having secured as many wins as Spring View, who were fourth in the final table.

It was a respectable performance for the Rookery side on their return to the league after a five-year absence and what was probably just as satisfying for club chairman, Phil Buck, was that Trinity looked the part of a Competition club. Their general organisation and approach to business was as crisp as one or two sides in the division above them.

Now, though, Trinity are looking to make progress; they know that to stay where you are in the current cricketing climate probably equates to falling behind. So they have been active in the recruitment business this autumn by signing Davy Smith from Northern and Wim van der Walt from Southport and Birkdale. Both those players will be returning to their former club but Smith has also been helped Trinity sign 18-year-old Australian wicketkeeper-batsman, Hayden McCrae, who currently plays for Helensburgh Tigers in New South Wales.

“We’re looking good at the moment,” said Buck. “I thought we had a fair season given that our main priority was to stay up and that was something we achieved comfortably after a couple of silly scares, caused probably by our inexperience of Competition cricket.

“We certainly enjoyed the season and we didn’t feel out of our depth except against Skelmersdale when Danny Edwards took us apart in both games. Most umpires said we had a good set-up and most of them understood that we just want to improve it.

“People we spoke to thought we were doing well and the teams we played against were made welcome and stayed for a pint.”