Australian ace Reece O’Connell hopes to return to Shrewsbury for a third season and spearhead their assault on the Birmingham Cricket League’s premier division.
The towering allrounder, who flew home to Perth last Sunday, was delighted to help Shrewsbury be crowned division one champions on the final day of the league season.
Now O’Connell, who is keen to play at the highest standard Down Under by breaking into the Western Australia state side, is confident he will be back again to star for the London Roaders.
“The premier is where I want to be,” he said. “There’s better cricket, better grounds, better teams, better games, better pros, more contracted players.”
O’Connell, who works for a finance company in Perth, has a year left at university where he’s studying for a degree in commerce.
But, having taken 54 league wickets at less than 11 apiece, he’s targeting helping Shrewsbury build on this year’s success.
“I love it here, the guys at the club and everyone at Shrewsbury has been really nice and I was welcomed straight away,” he said.
“A lot of people come over from Australia and find it really difficult in England but at Shrewsbury it’s brilliant and everyone gets behind you. Luckily enough I’ve done all right on the pitch so people have liked me a bit more, I suppose. It’s great to have won the league and been a part of it.”
Skipper Ed Foster, quick to highlight O’Connell’s contribution on and off the field, said: “Reece has done brilliantly two years on the trot and to have someone of his quality come over and play has been a bonus.”
There’s no break for O’Connell as he plays his first game back home for his Perth club side Claremont Nedlands this weekend, and he’s out to catch the eye of the Western Australian selectors.
“The competition’s strong and it’s just a matter of going out and getting wickets and runs to give me chance,” he said. “WA know where everyone’s at and they’ve told three of us that whoever does the best will get the nod.
“Aaron Heal’s the No 1 spinner at the moment and has done really well but if he doesn’t do well this time, I suppose an opportunity will come up.”
Shrewsbury, without O’Connell, opener Dan Rees and young paceman Mike Barnard, who all flew to Perth this week, hope to pick up another trophy when they take part in finals day of
the Birmingham League’s Twenty20 KO at Kidderminster on Sunday.
They take on Attock in the semi-finals at 9.45am with the other last four clash between Coventry & NW and Walmley. The two winners then contest the final.
“Everyone’s really up for it,” added Foster, who has named a 13-man squad.
“Hopefully we’ll get a few people going down from Shrewsbury to support us.”
Shrewsbury, meanwhile, have appointed Shropshire’s chairman of selectors Trevor Sheperd as new team manager for next year.
SHREWSBURY (from): E. Foster, R. Foster, J. Anders, J. Shantry, D. Manders, W. Merrick, J. Gale, J. Brydon, T. Somerville, A. Blofield, T. Allin, S. Barnard, M. Swift.
