Newport Cricket Club have been boosted by the late arrival ofoverseas professional Aditya ‘Adu’ Jain in time for tomorrow’s first home game of the season against Albrighton.
Adu was due to land in the UK last week but was caught up in the blanket ban on flights in and out of the country.
But the Indian managed to book onto another flight and landed in Birmingham yesterday lunchtime.
Chairman Bob Williams: “We have been monitoring the situation closely and obviously it’s a huge boost that he has arrived in time.”
Adu was greeted by a welcoming party last night ahead of his début against Albrighton tomorrow.
Albrighton were beaten by 220 runs at Much Wenlock last weekend.
Newport, meanwhile, were left rueing a host of missed chances as they suffered a dramatic last ball defeat on their visit to Madeley.
After posting a useful looking total – thanks largely to a fine knock from opener Paul Furniss – Newport always looked likely to hold the upper hand.
But they paid a hefty price for dropped catches, putting down overseas player Thomas Darangembizi several times, which cost them the game.
Having lost the toss, Newport were invited to take first knock on their return to Shropshire Premier League cricket and it was the familiar partnership of Paul and Rob Furniss who led the way.
However, the pairing did not last long, Rob being dismissed for just five with the score on 11 and when Andrew Parton was trapped leg before for just two with the score on 14, a few worried glances were exchanged,.
However Eddie Keenan pushed the scores on with a typically aggressive 26 and with Furniss he had taken the score to 50 before he fell.
Jamie Board (18), Nick Watkins (26) and Rhys Davenport (19), all helped keep the score ticking over, but it was opener Paul Furniss who proved the chief provider.
He had taken his score to an unbeaten 87 including six fours and a six, when the innings closed on 213-7 after 50 overs.
Newport’s young pace attack needed to make significant early inroads into the Madeley innings, but although Rhys Davenport bowled with pace, aggression and skill, the support from his fellow seamsters was only patchy.
Zimbabwean Darangembozi was the chief thorn in the side.
He took full advantage of being given several lifelines, as he carried bat for 95, to see the hosts home off the final ball of the game with two wickets in hand.
Pick of the Newport bowlers were Pat and Rhys Davenport, father finishing with 4-58 from his 14 overs while Rhys took 2-51 from his 16.
“There were not enough dot balls to keep the pressure on the batsmen and there was always one bad ball in the over, which meant that the scoreboard kept ticking over,” said captain Davenport.
“But the real problem was six dropped catches – including four off their overseas player.”
