BATSMAN Tom Coleman has been confirmed as Horspath's latest signing - but to many at the club he is already a familiar face. For the 24-year-old was a regular at training last season after moving to the area with work while continuing to play for Herefordshire side Colwall in Worcestershire County League Division 1. And the Herefordshire Twenty20 player certainly signed off for his old club in style by hitting a superb 117 in the final day win over champions Worcester Nomads as Colwall finished runners-up. Coleman, who lives in Cowley, had also opened the campaign with a ton, making an unbeaten 126 against Bewdley and with four fifties in between his two centuries, he racked up 678 runs at an average of 48.43. He also claimed 21 wickets with his leg-spin at an average of 16.00 to pick up both the batting and bowling trophies at Colwall, which nestles under the Malvern Hills. But now he is hoping his talents will flourish for Horspath in the Home Counties Premier League. "I am massively looking forward to it and to testing myself at a higher standard than in previous years," he said. "Horspath were kind enough to let me train there last year with a view to me joining. "They are a good bunch and I had good fun with them. "I also got to meet the committee members like Max (Eason) and other people, and that's helped me feel a bit more involved with it all." Coleman, who works for the UK's leading pig marketing co-operative Thames Valley Cambac at Wallingford, also starred during Colwall's run to the last 16 in the 2013 National Village Cup. He hit an unbeaten 178 in a regional round at Goodrich, before cracking 123 against Northants side Barby, and his tally of 365 runs in four innings made him the competition's highest scorer that season. Having played for all the Herefordshire age groups as a youth cricketer, he got the call-up to the full county side in 2015 for the area Twenty20 competition at Eastnor where he made 1no against Wales and then 35no against Oxfordshire. Horspath skipper Will Eason was delighted to welcome Tom to the club. "From my perspective it has been the ideal scenario," said Will. "Obviously he has been training with us for a year and for us to get to know him and for him to get to know the club it has been great. "He has fitted in really well already and he has not played a game yet. "We are getting a quality cricketer. In terms of what I have seen of him in practice and training with the bat he knows his own game. "You can tell he has plenty of time in the middle and looks like he hits the gaps well. "He seems to score runs consistently week by week and was an integral part of Colwall's team, and hopefully he will be with us as well. "His leg-spin is another string to his bow. He turns the ball both ways and is consistent, and will certainly be a threat with the ball as well." Tom is the third signing to be announced by Horspath during the close season following Cumnor batmsan James Fitzjohn and Reading paceman Ian Slatcher.
Posted by: Russ
No comments:
Post a Comment