The Belmont Bashers will don their baby blue strip yet again as they look set to hold onto their 2009 and 2010 Rhodes Internal Premier League (RIPL) titles. The RIPL 20/20 cricket tournament kicks off on 7 September and the undefeated Bashers hope to maintain this phenomenal track record.
The Bashers have been very busy on the transfer market in the off season, with their biggest signing being the mercurial top order batsman, Nicholas Tatham from the Panthers. The former Panther’s skipper is joined by fellow Rhodes 1st XI wicket-keeper, Sean Cresswell, who also joins the team from the Panthers.
Other big signings in the Bashers outfit are Matty Helm and Jeremy Hart, who helped Sidbury to a Pineapple Cricket Week win, whilst Southwell’s Murray Hobson is also added to the mix. All three are students at the university which allows them to qualify as Rhodes players and not externals.
Despite having snapped up some big names, the Bashers will be lamenting some big losses from their previous two successful campaigns. Former Rhodes 1st XI stalwart Stu Hill has left Rhodes along with former Bashers skipper Greg Brownlee and all-rounder Tony Alexander, leaving a slight hole in the middle order.
The Belmont Bashers will don their baby blue strip yet again as they look set to hold onto their 2009 and 2010 Rhodes Internal Premier League (RIPL) titles. The RIPL 20/20 cricket tournament kicks off on 7 September and the undefeated Bashers hope to maintain this phenomenal track record.
The Bashers have been very busy on the transfer market in the off season, with their biggest signing being the mercurial top order batsman, Nicholas Tatham from the Panthers. The former Panther’s skipper is joined by fellow Rhodes 1st XI wicket-keeper, Sean Cresswell, who also joins the team from the Panthers.
Other big signings in the Bashers outfit are Matty Helm and Jeremy Hart, who helped Sidbury to a Pineapple Cricket Week win, whilst Southwell’s Murray Hobson is also added to the mix. All three are students at the university which allows them to qualify as Rhodes players and not externals.
Despite having snapped up some big names, the Bashers will be lamenting some big losses from their previous two successful campaigns. Former Rhodes 1st XI stalwart Stu Hill has left Rhodes along with former Bashers skipper Greg Brownlee and all-rounder Tony Alexander, leaving a slight hole in the middle order.
The Bashers are an exciting team and are somewhat of a juggernaut in the RIPL as they boast some of the best talent on display. Apart from Tatham and Cresswell, Captain Stu Allcock will be the one Rhodes player to keep an eye on. The experienced left-hander has been in devastating form for the Rhodes 1st XI and smashed an unbeaten 86 against the RIPL all-stars in an exhibition match earlier this year.
However, the strength of the Bashers side over the past two seasons has been in the invaluable all-round talent and experience of their external players, Steven Gornall and Charlie Muir of Cuylerville and Chesney Long and Andrew Labuschagne of Manly Flats. The depth, experience and winning culture that the Bashers possess are set to be the key factors in setting them up as tournament favourites to claim a third successive title.
Bashers Squad: Stu Allcock (c), Sean Cresswell (wk), Nic Tatham, Steven Gornall, Stu Williams, Duncan Smith, Chesney Long, Andrew Labuschagne, Charlie Muir, Jeremy Hart, Matty Helm, Murray Hobson and Steve Bezuidenhout.
