WOODHOUSE Grange Cricket Club have been boosted by the pre-season addition of a new first XI captain, former Yorkshire off-spinner James Finch.

The 29-year-old hard-hitting middle-order batsman has joined from Barnard Castle, taking over leadership from former county team-mate Andrew Bilton who will become his vice-captain.

Finch has notable pedigree as both a cricketer and captain, making his county debut with Yorkshire's second XI in 2006 before being released in 2010 and went on to help transform Barnard Castle into one of the leading clubs in the North Yorkshire and South Durham League.

Of his new challenge, Finch commented: “I’m delighted to join Woodhouse Grange – it's a club with a long and proud history, and I hope to help them continue to consolidate and develop in the Yorkshire Premier League, which is such a hugely competitive competition."

In addition to Finch, the club also welcomes top-order batsman and off-spinner Simon Tennant, another accomplished cricketer who travelled with Finch from East Yorkshire to Barnard Castle.

The club’s new director of cricket, Steve Burdett, added: “Since the 2016 reorganisation of league cricket in Yorkshire, we've done extremely well under Andrew Bilton’s leadership to be competitive in the Yorkshire Premier League.

"To have both James Finch and Simon Tennant arrive for the 2018 season is a huge boost for Woodhouse and we hope to again perform well in what is a very tough league”.

Woodhouse Grange operates 10 teams, from under-11s up to the 1st XI. Anyone wanting to get involved, email woodhousegrangecc@outlook.com or call club secretary John Wilson on 07721 895300.