FOUR NEW CLUBS WAIT TO MAKE THEIR BOW IN THE COMPETITION

Date: 30th March 2013

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

A week longer for Spring View, Goodlass, Merseyside Sports and Cultural and Mossley Hill

The decision to delay the start of the Liverpool Competition season by a week is frustrating for everyone. However, perhaps no club's disappointment is greater than that of new boys Spring View, who were looking forward to welcoming New Brighton on April 13th.

However, it is not only the Bolton Association champions who are launching their Competition careers this season. Goodlass, Merseyside Sports and Cultural and Mossley Hill have all joined as associate members, and all the debutants will no doubt be wished all the best as they accustom themselves to their new environment.

Back at Spring View, the decision to postpone the first games of the campaign has been met with understanding. Even on such a well-kept arena the weather has posed its own problems during a wet autumn and a freezing spring. The only compensation is that the absence of cricket on April 13th will allow some members to travel down to Wembley to watch Wigan play Millwall in the FA Cup Semi Final.

"Our preparations have been delayed like everyone else's have," admitted Spring View's Chris Barnes, who will himself be North London-bound in a fortnight's time. "The wickets we shifted are still a little soft and we've also needed to have some vertidraining done after our sandbanding in the autumn.

No one who visits Spring View could doubt the attention that is lavished on the club or the members' determination to have everything as right as it can be when the cricket finally gets under way. Playing-wise, the club has been hit by the news that its Pakistani professional has been prevented from travelling to the UK by the Pakistan Cricket Board. On the plus side, 17-year-old batsman Alex Dean has joined from Highfield and skipper Jonny Broad's middle order will be strengthened by the arrival of the former Hindley skipper Martin Storey.

"We've been netting since early January and the turnout's been good," said Barnes. "Overall things have gone well and it's all about getting out there now. This thing has been a long tim in the planning but we are content with the preparations we've made."