HOLSWORTHY skipper Ryan Walter is targeting a top-half finish this summer for the first team as they look to get back towards the right end of the table in Division Two East of the Cornwall Cricket League.

Since joining the league back in 2008, the first team have continually risen each year, and have been in Division Two since 2021.

Last year was the first real struggle as the departures of three key players – Jack Greening, Matt Shepherd and Rob Mitchell, meant they looked in danger of going down.

However, the trio returned midway through the campaign and they eventually rallied to finish seventh.

South African bowling all-rounder Bilal Darbar who turns out for Skukuza Cricket Club who are based in the Kruger National Park in the east of the country is the new overseas player, while all-rounder Dan Smith will travel down from Andover each week to play having only made fleeting appearances last year.

Walter told the Post: “Other than signing Martin Bell from Bude for the seconds, we’re pretty much exactly the same as what ended last season.

“We’d obviously signed a West Indian in Allain Ashby, but visa issues meant he couldn’t come, so we’ve signed a 19-year-old in Bilal. He’ll bat somewhere in the middle-order and bowl some overs for us, and open the batting for us in the T20 stuff as he looks to be a fairly aggressive player.

“Another bit of good news for us is that Smithy is around for the season. He’s a good option with the ball in the middle, can bat in the top six if needed and is a good fielder.”

All six first teams in the division have an overseas player, and with four second teams from Premier League clubs completing the line-up, there should be plenty of close games.

Walter said: “I don’t think it’ll be too dissimilar to last year and a lot of it comes down to availability.

“If we can get our best 11 out every week then we’d be pushing for the top three, but in this day an age that’s not going to happen.

“We’ll know it’ll be very competitive as it always is, but if we can finish in the top half we’ll be happy.

“As for the rest of the teams, the seconds should be competitive again, the youngsters are another year older and we’ve got some good experienced heads.

“Ryan Smith has taken it on, but has been captain of the Sunday team for the last couple of years so he’ll be fine, and like us, a top half finish should be within reach.

“The ladies are going into their second season of hardball cricket and have trained well in the winter, so hopefully they’ll go from strength-to-strength, and we’ve also switched our junior teams to the North Devon League. We have teams at under 11s, 13s and 15s, and it’s being run mainly by Jack (Greening), so there’s lots to be excited about.”

The Trees, who host neighbours Bude on Saturday (1pm), visited County Division One outfit Perranporth on Saturday in a friendly but were beaten by 98 runs having been set 216 to win in 40 overs.

Young bowler Dan Lucas gave Walter a selection headache by taking 5-27 from his eight overs, while nobody made more than Aiden Gerry’s 20 in their 117-8.