Tom Friend hits out [Dave Reynolds] Bashley (Rydal) have swooped to bolster their top order batting for the upcoming ECB Southern Premier Division season by signing Ventnor’s Tom Friend, who has relocated to the mainland from the Isle of Wight.
A lead all-rounder in past seasons, Friend is likely to restrict his playing role at Bashley to batting – a troublesome and long term side muscle injury having taking its toll when he’s bowled for the past two years.
It was a chance meeting with Bashley vice-captain Brad Currie that led to Friend joining the BCG set.
“He just happened to wander into the sports shop where I was working and it went from there,” laughed Currie, who isn’t expecting any agents’ fee for his endeavours.
Friend has spent virtually all his local playing career at Ventnor, save the second half of the 2016 season and all of 2017 when he moved to York on a work placement and helped the historic city club win the ECB Yorkshire Premier League title.
“It was a fantastic experience playing in the Yorkshire Premier League, a totally different mindset by the players, with Clifton Park a superb venue on which to play,” he explained.
“I’m so delighted they’ve been awarded a First Class County Championship match against Warwickshire this summer. They deserve it for all the efforts they’ve put it to make the ground so nice.”
Friend didn’t do badly in the Yorkshire League either, his 800-run plus aggregate in 2017 including an unbeaten double-century against Easingwold, in addition to 15 wickets.
His work placement with LV= and university studies almost complete, he returned to Ventnor last season, scoring over 700 competitive runs, including a century in the island side’s win at Hook & Newnham Basics.
“I’m sad to be leaving Ventnor, but they understand that now I’m living and working near Poole it’s extremely difficult for me to hike back to the island at weekends to play cricket,” he explained.
“It will be nice to play in the Premier Division again. I thoroughly enjoyed it with Ventnor and Bashley is a great club with a lot of potential, and a lovely venue to play at.”
Friend will make his competitive debut for Bashley (Rydal) against 2018 runners-up Burridge at the BUG on May 4.
A lead all-rounder in past seasons, Friend is likely to restrict his playing role at Bashley to batting – a troublesome and long term side muscle injury having taking its toll when he’s bowled for the past two years.
It was a chance meeting with Bashley vice-captain Brad Currie that led to Friend joining the BCG set.
“He just happened to wander into the sports shop where I was working and it went from there,” laughed Currie, who isn’t expecting any agents’ fee for his endeavours.
Friend has spent virtually all his local playing career at Ventnor, save the second half of the 2016 season and all of 2017 when he moved to York on a work placement and helped the historic city club win the ECB Yorkshire Premier League title.
“It was a fantastic experience playing in the Yorkshire Premier League, a totally different mindset by the players, with Clifton Park a superb venue on which to play,” he explained.
“I’m so delighted they’ve been awarded a First Class County Championship match against Warwickshire this summer. They deserve it for all the efforts they’ve put it to make the ground so nice.”
Friend didn’t do badly in the Yorkshire League either, his 800-run plus aggregate in 2017 including an unbeaten double-century against Easingwold, in addition to 15 wickets.
His work placement with LV= and university studies almost complete, he returned to Ventnor last season, scoring over 700 competitive runs, including a century in the island side’s win at Hook & Newnham Basics.
“I’m sad to be leaving Ventnor, but they understand that now I’m living and working near Poole it’s extremely difficult for me to hike back to the island at weekends to play cricket,” he explained.
“It will be nice to play in the Premier Division again. I thoroughly enjoyed it with Ventnor and Bashley is a great club with a lot of potential, and a lovely venue to play at.”
Friend will make his competitive debut for Bashley (Rydal) against 2018 runners-up Burridge at the BUG on May 4.
