With the new season coming to life this weekend various Llama favourites have been seen brushing off any cobwebs in the nets. At least four of the first team side had various sojourns in Australia in the English off-season.

For Andy Delmont, Adelaide and Australia is, of course, home and playing for the Adelaide University Blacks he scored 401 runs in 10 grade cricket league games in the Australian summer at an average of 44.56, with a top score of 138, thereby continuing his fine form of last season. Delmont bowled only eight overs for the Blacks, taking 1-28.

In the season to Christmas Delmont was joined by Michael Burgess who kept wicket for the Blacks and also scored 110 runs at an average of 22.0 with a high score of 47.

Burgess now is registered with Sussex, after his stay last year at Leicestershire last summer. Burgess scored over 100 runs in his one game so far for the Sussex first team – against Cardiff MCCU early in April when he made a 46 and a 61.

Richie Oliver captains the 1st XI at Geelong City and this winter he scored 469 runs for the Sharks in grade cricket at an average of 36.08 with a high of 119. Oliver also took 10 catches in the season, good for most other cricketers but somewhat paltry when compared with his record-breaking 24 catches in 1st XI league cricket here last summer, a record that surely will last for many years.

Bradley Scriven was in Australia as well, not to play cricket, but in a marketing role at the Big Bash. He then spent time in India working in marketing at the IPL. No doubt in the coming season he’s looking forward to games against newly promoted Cranleigh CC, where his brother Jack top scored last season for the Cranleigh 1st XI with 713 runs at an average of 64.82 and a high score of 181 not out. Jack Scriven currently also plays for Cardiff MCCU, a side his elder brother Bradley captained last season.

Ben Shoare, now a student at Leeds Metropolitan University, has been playing in the Leeds/Bradford MCCU side with a couple of 40’s to his name already this month.

New arrivals

Three new faces will be gracing the Priory playing field – Nick Harrison a fast bowler who was contracted to Worcestershire from 2012-2014, Danny Miller, who played at Loughborough UCCE and for Surrey with Chris Murtagh in 2006 and 2007, and Matt Hutcheon, an Australian, not eligible for the 1st XI, who comes to the Priory after a successful three years at Maori Oxshott.

Harrison played three first class games and seven List A games for Worcester but missed most of the 2014 season with shin problems.

In 2015 Harrison played for a variety of sides, including Wiltshire, Somerset 2nds and even one game for Surrey 2nds. His league cricket has been with Corsham in Wiltshire, in the West of England Premier League from 2008-2010 and then again from 2015-2016. From 2011-2014 he played for Himley CC in the Birmingham and District Premier League.

In his university days, Miller batted at number 11 and opened the bowling for Loughborough. Priory members, however, know Miller as that big-hitting opening batsman who last season scored a match-winning 62 in 51 balls for Ashtead in the T20 game at the Priory when Richard Oliver’s 71 (also off 51 balls) was not enough to overcome Ashtead’s total of 162-6.

Priory supporters with longer memories might also remember the away game against Cheam in July 2011 when dropped catches helped Miller to a game-winning 102 off 96 balls.

Last season, Miller played seven games for Ashtead’s 1st XI scoring 212 runs at an average of 35.33. He did not bowl at all last season for Ashtead’s first team.

Hutcheon comes to the Priory having spent the past three seasons at Maori Oxshott in the 5th Division. In the past three seasons the all-rounder scored some 1199 runs at an average of 24 as well as taking 103 wickets at an average of 20.81.

Saker reinvented

Last, but by no means least, an old Priory favourite is returning to 2nd XI cricket in a different role. Once a feared opening bowler and 1st XI captain, now tamed by a shoulder injury, Neil Saker is returning in the guise of opening batsman. Indeed last weekend in the friendly interclub game at the Priory, Saker scored a creditable 18 runs in 31 balls.

Club members with good memories will note how Saker scored 98 not out in 167 balls as he spearheaded a seven wicket win against Cobham Avorians in June 2008, when he was a Surrey first team player.

In 2006 Saker had displayed his batting credentials for the county when he scored 58 not out for Surrey against an Essex attack that included Andy Bichel, Alex Tudor and Ravi Bopara. This was followed by a 47 against Gloucestershire and a 30 against Derbyshire, when he partnered Tim Murtagh (41*) in a seventh wicket partnership of 70 runs.

For Reigate, Saker also scored a 69 against Malden Wanderers in 119 balls in June 2010, when he opened, and a 60 against Wimbledon in June 2011, batting at number six. In recent years Saker scored 45 not out in a Reigate total of 84 in a Twenty-20 game against Ashtead in 2014.