NO LENTON FEAST FOR S&B

Date: 26th March 2013

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

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Southport and Birkdale's plans for the new season have been hit by the news that Jay Lenton will not be playing for the club this summer.

The highly-rated Australian batsman-wicketkeeper has been awarded a New South Wales contract and will now spend the antipodean winter training with the state squad.

"I'm pleased for Jay but I'm also very disappointed for the club," said S&B skipper Chris Firth. "But there's nothing we can do and we have to move on.

The Trafalgar Road captain was emailed by a NSW official on Monday morning and then by an apologetic Lenton who has promised to try and find a replacement for S&B

"Jay has a player in mind but it will be tough to find anyone at this stage," said Firth. "However, we don't need anyone before May 4th and we will be making every effort to find somebody before then."

Having scored 1,020 runs for Formby in the First Division of the Liverpool Competition last season Lenton was one of the hottest properties in the winter's recruitment market and S&B officials and players were understandably delighted to have secured his services last autumn. Now they must think again