ASHTON Cricket Club has acted swiftly and signed a new professional ahead of the 2024 season.
The Reyner Lane outfit had agreed a deal with Sri Lankan Pathum Madusanka to replace Ruman Ahmed, however visa complications put paid to the deal and forced captain Dan Hawthorne to look elsewhere.
In a quick turn of events – and with the help of cricket agency Club Vitae – he has captured Sri Lankan all-rounder Visha Chathuranga.
Speaking to The Correspondent about the signing, Hawthorne said: “As we were completing the paperwork to ensure Pathum would be here it became apparent that he wouldn’t qualify under the strict Home Office entry requirements. This was a big blow.
“We had planned and acted early in order to put things in place. Frankly we were badly let down by the agent who acted for Pathum and who should have been well aware that there was no chance of him fulfilling the entry criteria.
“With only three and a half months to the start of the season we needed to sort something quickly.
“The bureaucracy required to bring in an overseas player takes a fair amount of time and any delay could have left us with a real problem. We approached Club Vitae, a well-respected cricket agency, and found them to be more than helpful.”
Chathuranga arrives at the club with an excellent domestic record.
The 25-year-old, who plays for Chilaw Marians, made his first class debut in 2016 and now has nearly 40 top flight games under his belt.
A hard-hitting left-hand batsman, who also bowls off-spin and can keep wicket, he averages 28 and has three first class centuries. His limited over record, in both the 50-over and T20 formats, is also impressive and the captain is excited about the season ahead.
Hawthorne added: “Vishva looks to be a real capture for the club.
“His record in Sri Lanka speaks for itself and the added bonus is that he comes with experience of English conditions.
“Playing for Caverswall in the North Staffs and South Cheshire League oved the last two years he topped 1,800 runs and added more than 60 wickets.
“He has a coaching qualification and this will be a real asset as we look to develop our promising juniors. With our plans for the season now finalised we are eagerly waiting for Vishva’s arrival.”
In related news at Rayner Lane, the club is thrilled to have been awarded a significant grant from Valencia Communities Fund, which will facilitate the creation of a patio area in front of the clubhouse to replace the existing terracing area that has been in place for over 50 years.
Chairman Stan Adshead said: “This grant award is tremendous news and will make a huge difference.
“We have made huge strides as a club over the past decade, with the full refurbishment of the clubhouse, the creation of a bowls pavilion, the installation of practice facilities and the re-energising of both the cricket and bowls sections.
“The installation of a patio will replace the terracing which, to be brutally honest, is well past its sell by date. It will be a fitting project for the club to mark its 150th anniversary at RL”.
The work is scheduled to start in mid-February and will be completed in time for the season opener against Rochdalians on Saturday, April 20.
Club officials are now planning how to best celebrate that anniversary.