WASPS captain Hugo Southwell will swap his rugby boots for cricket studs this season after joining Thames Valley Cricket League Division One outfit Beaconsfield.
The Wasps full-back is a batting all-rounder of considerable talent and Beaconsfield director of cricket Jason Harrison believes it’s a real coup for the club.
He said: “He’s an excellent cricketer. He came up through the Sussex system and could have played rugby or cricket.
“He chose rugby, but cricket is still a huge passion of his and he’s fitted in beautifully, the lads have really taken to him.
“He lives in Beaconsfield and came to some nets last year, and this year he wants to play.
“With his rugby commitments I don’t know how often he’ll be able to play, but we respect that.”
Southwell isn’t the only major signing for the club.
Mark Morgan has arrived from High Wycombe and brings with him a wealth of experience having been a key member of Wycombe’s Home Counties Premier League title-winning teams of the past.
Beaconsfield begin their promotion assault at home to Wokingham on Saturday and are in confident mood after overcoming tricky conditions to beat Chesham in the National Cup last weekend.
They had first use of a difficult pitch and appeared to be in big trouble as they went nine down still 20 runs short of three figures.
But a last-wicket stand of 40 between Jon Mahood and Tamoor Hussain (30) hauled Beaconsfield up to 124 and that proved enough.
In reply, Chesham collapsed to 76 all out as the Beaconsfield bowlers took control.
Mahood finished with figures of 3-14 from nine overs with two wickets apiece going to James Rendell, Mark Sullivan and Hussain.
Harrison said: “We played pretty well with the ball and in the field and had a good last stand with the bat that helped up get a score.”
That result came after successive Bucks Cup wins over Marlow, by nine wickets, and Stoke Green, by 30 runs on Saturday.
Adam Francis (42) and Luc Walker (46) were solid at the top of the order before Chris Thomas added a fluent 52 from 42 balls in their innings of 205-4.
Mahood claimed four wickets in Stoke Green’s reply with Harrison himself taking three more.
He said: “We’ve played well in the last three games and we can’t wait for Wokingham now.”
