Berrie: Burscough should be up there this season

Date: 19th March 2014

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

...pushing for a place in the First Division ....

Burscough have been hit by the departure of six senior players since the end of last season but skipper Lee Berrie remains confident that his team can mount a credible promotion campaign in 2014.

By no means all the cricketers who have left – the list comprises Carl Lydiatt, Michael Cooney, Dave Atherton, Adam Waterhouse and Gary and Mark Taylor - would have been very strong contenders for a first team place this summer and Berrie is happy to place his faith in the club’s younger contingent.

That should mean plenty of opportunities for bowlers like Chris Andrews and Daniel Houghton although many of the batting responsibilities look set to remain with influential cricketers like Berrie himself (780 league runs last season), Brendan Domigan (688) and Michael Bimpson (395).

But ex-skipper Alan Murray has stepped down – or should it be stepped up? - to take charge of the second team and that side too will probably feature a good clutch of youthful members.

Berrie himself has had the luxury of managing Burscough’s pre-season preparations this year. In 2013 he took over after the side had won none of its first five matches but led the first team to fourth place in the Second Division of the Med Imaging Liverpool Competition.

“Things went pretty well and I was happy to stay on as skipper, he said. “

We should still have a strong season and be pushing for a place in the First Division but we need to begin the campaign in good form,” said Berrie. “Brendan will still be with us but we shouldn’t be relying on him all the time. Both our first and second team squads will be young and I think that’s a good thing.”

As to Burscough’s decision not to sign an overseas player, Berrie believes it is another example of officials being reluctant to spend too much on players in the current economic climate. “

Lots of clubs are struggling and are being very careful to spend wisely,” he said.