Penrith Cricket Club first team will return to Northern League competition this weekend with Greg Cameron as their skipper and a new professional, Harsha Vithana, who will be available for the full season.
Cameron, aged 24, has taken over the captaincy from Ali Craig, who will assume the role of his deputy for a 2023 campaign which starts at Tynefield Park on 22nd April against Eccleston. The Chorley side were promoted from the Palace Shield last term after finishing second behind champions Fleetwood.
Penrith, meanwhile, finished third from bottom of the Northern League in 2022 as their previous professional missed the start and end of the season.
“Preparations for this season have gone well,” Cameron told the Herald. “We’ve been playing outside the last couple of weeks and we’ve got some new nets. That’s really helped the lads. Compared to the player training numbers last year at the same stage, we’ve had a lot more turn out. There is more interest now they’re using top class facilities; they are more keen to come and practice.
“Last season could have been better. It was mainly down to the availability of lads,” he said. “It’s always hard when you’re playing different players every week, rather than having 13 or 14 who play the majority of games.
“When you’re having to draft in young lads who aren’t ready for that standard it’s always difficult to compete against the better teams.”
Sri Lankan all-rounder Vithana is due in Penrith at the end of this week ahead of the opening day. “He seems ready for the season. Hopefully it will pay dividends and we’ve got someone with a bit more experience over here as opposed to a young lad,” said the captain.
“Having him all year will definitely be a big boost. He will be able to mould with all the lads. We won’t have to worry about finding a sub pro at the end of the year or to fill in for games when you need one.
“He should bring experience and a bit of leadership as well. He’s captained across in Sri Lanka so he can help me out. I think it’ll be a bonus to have a lad with a good head on his shoulders. He’s had a lot of experience in the UK so he should, fingers crossed, perform well.”
Preparing for a stint as captain, former Sedbergh School student Cameron said: “I’m looking forward to it. I’ve done it in the past, not at Penrith but I’ve been captain in the past of other teams, at school and at club cricket level. It’s going to be a challenge.”
Craig will be a hard act to follow, admitted Cameron, who hoped his experience as an unofficial deputy during 2022 would stand him in good stead.
Penrith have lost Asher Hart, who has moved to play in Newcastle, and Bruce Glendinning, who has also moved to the North East to become a teacher.
Rule changes which remove the requirement for players in Cumbria contention to play county league cricket have made it a struggle to recruit players in the off-season, as had the larger player budgets of rival Northern League teams. As a result there are no new arrivals, other than Vithana.
However, Cameron hoped the pro’s arrival would help to pick up some of the slack.
“We’re down two players and up one. We’ve got a few young lads who are a year older now,” said Cameron, who expected reigning champions Garstang, along with Blackpool and Kendal, to be leading the title challenge.
“I’m going to be optimistic and say top five, top six,” said the skipper of his target for the year.
