Shrewsbury skipper Ed Foster has persuaded his talented clubmate Joe Leach to switch his Minor Counties allegiance from Staffordshire to Shropshire for this season.
Foster, looking forward to his first campaign at the helm of Shropshire, is pleased to have enticed Leach, 19, from Staffs having been impressed by the allrounder’s displays for Shrewsbury last season.
But he revealed Leach’s availability for the county side could be restricted owing to the player also being required for second team duty at Worcestershire where he is on a summer contract.
“Joe’s a very good player and he’s another good signing for Shropshire,” said Foster. “We’ll see him more perhaps in the one-day games as the three- day Championship matches clash with his Worcestershire commitments.
“Joe’s back from New Zealand soon where he’s been playing grade cricket in Auckland and last week he actually scored 100 so he’s in good touch.”
Foster and Shrewsbury are stepping up their preparations for their second season back in the top flight of the Birmingham Cricket League after last year’s impressive top five finish.
They are working towards hitting the ground running in their first game at Kenilworth Wardens in the Graham Williamson Trophy on April 17.
The squad were joined at their latest session in the nets at Shrewsbury School by Elliot Green and Will Parton, two of last season’s regulars who have just returned home after spending the winter playing in Australia.
Spinner Green spent several months in rural Queensland while wicketkeeper-batsman Parton was with a club in Adelaide. “They’re back, looking tanned and have picked up slightly questionable accents!” added Foster.
“They both looked good at nets, looked fit, and they’ve both done pretty well in Australia without setting the world on fire. They’re bound to have benefited from the time they’ve spent there which is good news for the club.”
Foster added Shrewsbury were hoping to be able to announce the signing of their new overseas player, a replacement for Wes Robinson, in the next couple of weeks.
The captain, meanwhile, urged club members and volunteers to help spruce up Shrewsbury’s London Road ground when the club take part in the annual NatWest CricketForce day on Saturday from 9am.
By Stuart Dunn
