Date: 29th Mar 2024
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GOOD NEWS BRINGS A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AT MOOR PARK

Date: 23rd December 2014

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

Grey and Carroll arrive as Cole's fitness improves

Whatever the season, there may be an extra Cole on fire and a Carroll on song at Northern this year after the Moor Park club announced good news on both the injury and recruitment fronts recently.
 
With Tom Bailey likely to be required on a regular basis by Lancashire in 2015, first team skipper James Cole was heartened to hear that his brother Stephen’s latest ankle operation was sufficiently successful to raise hopes that he may be able to bowl when the season gets under way in April.
 
In addition, captain Cole has clinched the signings of both Ian Carroll from Old Xaverians and all-rounder Liam Grey from Lancashire County League club Thornham.
 
Perhaps it is not unreasonable to sound a very small note of caution at this point. Cole has yet to see the specialist upon whose judgement will depend the number of overs of medium pace he can deliver, while Carroll and Grey have yet to prove themselves at ECB Premier League level.
 
All the same, this is exciting news for supporters at Moor Park. If Cole can only bowl half the overs he sent down in 2013, when his 62 wickets at 11.34 apiece helped Northern to the title, he will be an invaluable addition to his brother’s bowling cadre, which will also include new signings Grey, John Dotters and useful off-spinner Carroll.
 
The new signings have a decent pedigree, too. Carroll plundered a modest 1030 runs in 2013 (559 last year) and is following a similar path to that trod successfully by the ex-Ainsdale opener Stephen Lucas. For his part, Grey was a member of the very successful Lancashire Under 17 side and comes with the endorsement of the former Northern batsman Carl Hey.
 
“Our aim next season is to do well in the league but also to make significant progress in the Lancashire and National Knockouts,” said James Cole. “I’m really hopeful that these signings and the news about James will help us achieve those goals.
 
“We’re very excited to add Ian to the squad. He’s a proven run-scorer who’s keen to prove himself at a higher level. He also bowls a bit of off-spin and that’s useful, too. Liam is the same age as John Dotters and he’s both an up and coming, quality cricketer and a genuine all-rounder.
 
“As for Stephen, he’s had the scar tissue cleared away and we’re just waiting for the specialist’s report, but we won’t be putting the same workload on him. He would have been very useful in the knockout games last season and it’ll be nice if Tom Bailey can play a few matches, although we’re not counting on that. We’ll be delighted for Tom if he can further his professional career at Lancashire.”
 
 
 
 
             
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