CAPTAIN Stuart Catterall has hailed the impact of Stand’s new overseas amateur Jamal Sukhon on their impressive start to 2018.

The Hamilton Road side are top of the GMCL’s Division One B having won six of their eight matches so far, including Saturday’s 137-run triumph at Glodwick.

Catterall has described an “all-round team effort” to help them secure a two-point lead over Moorside in second and a three-point gap to third-placed Saddleworth.

However, he has reserved praise for 18-year-old New Zealander Sukhon and the way he and professional Geshan Wimiladharma, also a new signing, have settled.

Sukhon was their star man on Saturday with 76 and 3-43, and he has scored 252 runs and taken 14 wickets in nine appearances in the league and cup.

Stand elected to bat and made an imposing 284-9 against struggling Glodwick, who were bowled out for 147. Ali Asad also hit 59 for Stand, while each of their seven-man attack struck with the ball.

“It was a good toss to win,” said Catterall. “The wicket broke up later in the day. But we put a big total on the board. With our bowling attack, I’m always quite confident of defending.

“In the end, it was quite an easy victory.

“It was all about the batting really. Jamal got 70 odd, Ali got 50 odd and everybody else contributed. I think everyone got a start.

“Jamal’s 18 and comes from Canterbury in New Zealand. It’s his first season over here, the same as the pro.

“He’s an old head on young shoulders. The way he paces his innings, you wouldn't see him as an 18-year-old.

“Both lads have integrated themselves into the club really well. Even at the junior practice sessions on a Friday night, they are always there. They have been great additions. Both bowl off-spin and bat.”

On the promotion picture, Catterall said: “We’re right up there at the minute, which is great. We have a tough month where we don’t play at home due to the way it’s worked out. We have a free weekend coming up.

“But that will pay us back later on when we’re at home pretty much for the last month. If we’re in the mix at that stage, we have a very strong chance of going up.

“To be fair, as a club, we know we can’t be compared to a Prestwich. We are a lot smaller. We don’t have the bar takings. For us to compete in the Premier League, it would be very hard on a financial basis.

“But, from a cricketing perspective, we are competing. We have a strong side which bats all the way down. We have guys coming in playing proper shots at eight and nine. And most games, we’ve had six or seven bowlers.

“It’s a good all-round side we’ve built.

“We’re definitely strong in our league. Whether we could compete in the top tier, I’ve not seen enough of it to tell you.

“We’d love to give it a go and would have nothing to lose. We could hold our own on the day, but it’s just the consistency.”