Plymouth stronger then ever claims skipper

MATT Hooper is expecting big things of his Plymouth side once the season gets going against Torquay on Saturday.

Plymouth finished halfway up the Premier Division last season and had the bowled as well as they batted could have finished higher.

Marnus Labuschagne (730), James Toms (629) and Jake Luffman (435) figured prominently in the batting lists with South African Labuschagne top of the Premier averages.

No one took more wickets than veteran left-arm seamer Dave Burke with 21 – and three of the teams below Plymouth in the table had a better bowling record over the season.

The arrival of Hal Kerton from Plymstock will pep up the bowling attack – and South African Gionne Koopman looks good for a few as well.

Koopman, who plays for Border, has 43 First Class wickets under his belt bowling off-spin.

A very handy signing for Plymouth is Scotland one-day player Hamish Gardiner, who has emigrated from Australia to live in Cornwall.

Gardiner bats and has attracted attention from Surrey in the past. He played for Carlton in the Cricket Scotland League last season.

Steve Luffman has returned to the club after two seasons with Yelverton and, at 50, will be the oldest player in the Premier Division this season if picked.

Gone from last year are Labuschagne and keeper-batter Callum Whittaker, who is living, working and playing in Truro.

Matt Hooper, doing another year as Plymouth captain, said the city side look stronger than any time since he joined the club and had worked hard during the winter ironing out wrinkles in their game.

“We have a few changes from last year but the core of the side is still there,” said Hooper.

“Losing Callum was a huge blow for us but we had a ready made replacement in Harry Stephenson.

“We have made a few other signings but we were conscious that we wanted to give some of our own players a go.

Quite a few of our lads have been part of the Devon Lions programme over the winter and all seem to have improved their games, as have Rob Bennett and Ben Stein, who went overseas.

“We are cautiously optimistic for the season, despite losing one or two this is the strongest I have seen the club in my time with Plymouth.”

 


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