Leatherhead keep it in the family as former England star signs up
SHAUN Udal will be the star name in Leatherhead Cricket Club's armoury for the upcoming season.
The 43-year-old former England spinner will be adding a wealth of experience to the Fetcham Grove squad, who captain Matt Joblin says, are aiming for promotion.
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England bowler Shaun Udal celebrates the wicket of Indian batsman Mahendra Dhoni during the final day of the third Test match at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India, Wednesday March 22, 2006. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Photo credit should read: Rebecca Naden/PA. ***EDITORIAL USE ONLY - NO MOBILE PHONE USE***
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SPORT. KENT CRICKET. Twenty20 Cup Southern Group Game. Kent Spitfires V Middlesex Panthers at St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury. Shaun Udal. Picture: Andy Jones
And it was Joblin's connections that brought Udal to Leatherhead.
He said: "Shaun has been affiliated with the club for some time now, he is actually my brother-in-law and that's how it's come about really.
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"We had a discussion with him in September or October and he was really positive towards what we were trying to achieve and we're really happy that we've managed to secure him for the season.
"He is a fantastic addition to the squad and it's going to be really good having him around, not just because of the good cricketer that he is, but to learn from his experiences as well.
"We're looking pretty strong and we're looking forward to a successful season."
And a successful season for Leatherhead would be going one better than last year, when they finished third, just missing out on promotion to the Surrey Championship Division One, despite going into the last day of the season with a chance of going up.
Joblin added: "Last year we were in [the promotion race] until the last game of the season.
"We needed to win our last game and if one of the top two slipped up we would have gone up, but all three teams won, so it's only one little step further we need to go."
Not that Joblin is in the mood to talk up his team's title chances.
"We're just going to take each game as it comes," he said. "We're not looking too far ahead, but fingers crossed we can achieve promotion."
Leatherhead begin their Surrey Championship Division Two campaign away at Horsley & Send on Saturday.
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