BERRY RIPE FOR PREMIER

PAUL Berry is used to venturing into the unknown, so it should stand him in good stead when he gets to the crease for the ECB Premier debut.

Oulton Park's run machine took the County League by storm last year when he topped the batting averages in his first season.

Berry scored three centuries as he racked up an average of 83 in Park's first promotion to the top tier of Cheshire cricket.

Although he has experience at an equivalent level, Berry is remaining guarded as to whether he can repeat last year's stunning performance.

"I'd like to think so," he said. "But I'm going into the unknown, although I played for Leyland in the Northern League, which is as strong a league as there is in England.

"It was my first year in Cheshire last year and I had a share of good luck, which is always needed, but the standard is going to be higher this time.

"The pitches are going to be better, but you have to wait and see. Last year, we heard they were going it be good, but we played on some terrible tracks.

"It's not down to anything other than the weather, but there are a lot of good pitches in the Premier if the weather's good, and as a batsman, I'm hoping that's the case."

Also new to the ECB Premier division is Oulton captain Andy McIlroy, who will need all the experience he has gained as captain of the MCC when he leads his team into the opening game at Neston on Saturday.

Park have lost 'Wizard of Oz' Greg Dimery, who took 41 wickets and hit 805 runs (the highest in Division One) in 2000, but another top grade Australian import Jason Swift will replace him.

Opening with Swift will be Steve Yates and another new boy, former Sussex University and Southern Universities captain James Whittaker, joins the top order.

Steve Dublin has gone from the middle, which will be filled by the experience of John Davies, Roger Whitehouse and Roger Thompson.

Wicket keeper Neil Moss will be in tandem with McIlroy for the 13th straight season, the captain opening the bowling with Whittaker.

This year's 'spin twins' will be Swift and David Tattersall, Davies providing the line and length. The squad is completed by promising colt Mark Johnson and Stuart Robinson, whose fielding last year was outstanding.

Number three batsman Berry is confident Oulton's first season at the top won't be their last.

He added: "I think we will find it difficult because we've lost a couple of players and they will be big holes to fill. I think we will be happy just to consolidate our position.

"But with Jason Swift and James Whittaker coming in to the attack with Andy McIlroy, I think we will be okay. We certainly won't disgrace ourselves."

MARK Fitzgerald, who averaged over 50 in Oulton Park's 2nd XI last year, will again open their batting with Steve Wright.

Paul Murray will lead the young team, which includes junior players who have represented their county at schoolboy level.

Oulton will be running four junior sides in the summer under the guidance of head coach Tony Eustance, backed up by qualified assistants Swift, Whittaker and Fitzgerald.

OULTON Park CC has announced a major new sponsorship deal for the coming season.

Bloor Homes is stumping up the cash to support the cricket club in Little Budworth, an area in which it has built two prestige sites.

Land manager for Bloor, Paul Stanley said: "We are delighted to support a village club competing in the top league in the county, the Murray Smith ECB Premiership."

The four-figure deal is to be used to upgrade Oulton Park's ground equipment and to support their extensive coaching programme for four junior teams of boys and girls.