Park target mid-table spot

Crowhurst Park captain Paul Brookes is targeting a mid-table finish in Sussex Division Two

Park are all set for their third successive Sussex Cricket League Division Two campaign having finished sixth in 2013 and eighth last year.

Experienced bowling all-rounder Paul Brookes will captain the side for the second year running.

He said: “We really want to try and consolidate, and potentially go further up the league obviously. I’m hoping that we can get somewhere halfway, if not higher.

“Last year was a tough year with a very young side, but I think they all learnt from that, and we’ve picked up a few players this year and that will help to strengthen all four (of the club’s adult league) teams.”

Jon Day, Josh Willis, Rak Patel and Nick Taylor have all come on board, and although Nick Peters has joined Bexhill and Park don’t have an overseas player at present, Brookes says the squad has greater depth in all areas this summer.

The skipper - who played for the division’s representative side against Guernsey on Bank Holiday Monday - added that scoring more runs with the bat is a key objective for Park in 2015.

“We’ve got to get runs on the board or try and chase the runs if we’re batting second,” said Brookes, who was the division’s joint highest wicket-taker last term with 52 victims at an average of 13.44. “The batting on paper looks really good; we’ve got people who can score runs and score them at quite a good pace.”

Park will be keen to get off to a positive start at home to Findon tomorrow (Saturday, 1pm start). Findon finished one place and just eight points above Park in 2014.

“It’s one I would look to because Findon historically don’t normally travel very well,” added Brookes, who is very much looking forward to a first ever league meeting with Hastings Priory later in the campaign. “We would certainly be looking to take as many points as we can.”

Park’s scheduled visit from Bells Yew Green in the Davidstow Village Cup last weekend succumbed to the weather and the first round match will now be played at their opponents’ ground this Sunday.

The Telham-based club won’t go into the league campaign completely cold, however, because Park did take on Old Elthamians in a friendly the previous weekend.

Park also have a much-anticipated visit from the Lashings All-Stars to look forward to on Sunday June 28. Lashings confirmed this week that Grant Elliott - one of the star performers for New Zealand during the World Cup - will be making his debut for them in the fixture.