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Professional released as MCC round off season

11/ 9/2008

MIDDLETON Cricket Club officials have decided not to retain Werner Coetsee as professional for next season.

Coetsee missed part of this season when he was called up to play for South Africa A on a short tour of Australia, and he had made it clear his ambition was to play in one-day internationals for South Africa.

Middleton CC chairman Len Hayes said: "Werner is a true professional and a really nice person. Unfortunately we didn't see the best of his cricket this season, mainly due to the adverse weather.

"We lost Arno Jacobs to Leicestershire last season, and Werner for part of this season. Werner could well be playing for South Afirca next year, and as a club we couldn't afford to run the risk of losing our professional again."

A decision on Coetsee’s replacement for next season has yet to be made, but he has already left for home, and MCC’s deputy paid man for Sunday’s final game of the season, against Norden at Towncroft, will be South African all-rounder Martin Smith.

Norden will also field a deputy professional following the recall to South Africa of Jean Symes.

It will be West Indian Ryan Hinds who has signed for a second spell with Rochdale next season.

Only one of 16 fixtures got under way in the CLL last weekend, and that match between Norden and Unsworth was abandoned after 19 overs.

Middleton should have played at Clifton on Saturday, and at home to Royton on Sunday.

There was a silver lining to the clouds last weekend, as the washout meant Middleton seconds cannot now be overtaken at the top of the CLL’s second division.