Monmouth frustrated by rain (From Free Press Series)

Monmouth frustrated by rain

PAUL Swingwood certainly knows the disruption which the British weather causes to the country's most popular summertime game.

The Monmouth Cricket Club captain has been sitting at home for the past two weekends waiting for the rain to stop.

Swingwood and his Monmouth team have not yet bowled a ball in anger in defence of their Flint & Cook Marches League Division One crown.

It is a frustration that Swingwood shares with fellow skipper Idris Leonard, whose Monmouth second team have not played a match in the Marches League Division Two.

Swingwood said: "We experienced the same frustration at the start of last season. The weather last May was pretty awful too and I remember asking myself whether we would ever play another game of cricket. There's not a lot you can do about the wet weather but all we can do is train hard and remain keen."

Monmouth, sponsored by Misbah Tandoori Restaurant, will be aiming to get their rain-hit season under way against Leominster at the Sports Ground this Saturday.

Monmouth secured the double over the Hereford-shire outfit last season and clinched the league title with a victory at their Bridge Street headquarters.

Leominster, however, will be no pushovers and their leading bowler, Russell Palmer, finished top of the Marches League bowling averages last season.

Monmouth also received noticeable representation in the bowling averages with Charlie Bye finishing second, Alex Richards, third, and Jonathan Roberts, eighth.

Wayne Etheridge came fifth in the batting averages, while former vice-captain Chris Richards finished ninth.

Monmouth's second team will also be hoping to start their campaign when they travel the short distance to Ross-on-Wye, who were relegated from Marches League Division One at the end of last season.

Leonard said: "At the beginning of every season you look out for the local derbies and we are certainly looking forward to Saturday.

"It"s going to be a difficult game, because last season we were playing in Division Three and Ross were competing in Division One."