CHESHIRE captain Andy Hall is rightly confident his team can build on the success they achieved in the Minor Counties Western Division last season.

Hall, in only his second term in charge of the county side, guided Cheshire to within a whisker of clinching a place in the Championship final at Cleethorpes Cricket Club last September.

Cheshire also reached the quarter finals of the Minor Counties Cricket Association (MCCA) Knockout Cup, where two finalists get the chance to contest the national crown at Lords.

But for Hall, and his ambitious team, the domestic challenge is what really whets the appetite.

An impressive record of just one defeat in six outings in the Western Division was a good achievement for Cheshire, especially without the services of a recognisable striker bowler, a problem which could hinder the county's chances of success this term.

Cheshire drafted in Barrington Browne, a Guyanese fast bowler, for their Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy second-round clash with Hampshire, an entertaining curtain-raiser to the new league season.

However, Browne, who plays for Nantwich in the Murray Smith Accountants Cheshire County League E.C.B. Premier Division, is ineligible to play in any of Cheshire's three-day matches because he is not qualified as an English citizen.

Cheshire chairman Gerry Hardstaff acknowledges that his county must try and recruit a match-winning bowled if they are to win honours.

"Barrington can play in the County League because he has a two-year residential qualification, but because he has never applied to be an English citizen, it means we can't pick him for the Championship games," said Hardstaff.

"It's a shame because he's a good bowler and someone we feel can take wickets for us. No disrespect to the rest of the team, but we haven't got a match-winning bowler.

"The year we won the Western Division, we had five bowlers who managed to take 20 wickets or more each. You need those type of stats if you are going to win something.

"Jason Whittaker took seven wickets at Chester Boughton Hall last year on a handy wicket, but apart from that we didn't really have any of our bowlers who weighed in with match-winning figures.

"Barrington injured his hamstring in the cup match this season, but if he had stayed on he could have quite easily taken some wickets. What we need is someone to take wickets."

Hardstaff and his selection committee have trawled the county to try and find a bowler/s who they deem suitable to make the leap from league cricket to Minor Counties level.

But Hardstaff admits that there are few bowlers who meet the criteria Cheshire are looking for and, as a result, the county have now been forced to look at other counties to recruit players.

"There's a lot of good league bowlers but no one that we feel is suitable to play Minor Counties cricket," added Hardstaff.

"It's a big commitment playing for Cheshire and unfortunately some players don't what to make that commitment."

Hardstaff has approached Mark Hillaby, the Macclesfield pace bowler, to join the side in a bid to bolster the county's front-line bowling attack.

But Hillaby, who has consistently taken wickets in the Premier Division - 66 wickets last season - does not want to play.

"There's no point even considering him anymore, he's made it quite clear he doesn't want to play," Hardstaff said.

"Mark's tall, bowls a good line and length and would be a useful bowler, but we've chased him and chased him for that last two or three seasons. He just doesn't seem interested."

Hardtsaff, however, has found one young bowler who could help Cheshire in their quest for honours.

Daniel Jones, from Oulton Park, is a 19-year-old fast bowler who has represented Lancashire Under-21s.

His brother, Chris, a left-arm spinner, featured for Cheshire at the start of last year's campaign before Robin Fisher commanded the regular spinner's spot.

But Jones junior, having being selected for the county's opening three-day match against Berkshire at Falklands C.C. (23-25 May) has withdrawn himself from the team.

The teenager is a student at Leeds University, and so exams have to take priority. Another headache Hardstaff and Hall could do without.

"Bowlers win you matches," Hardstaff said. "If you have one good bowler and a couple of good support bowlers who will chip in with wickets, you can be a very successful side.

"Daniel has been recommended to us as a good player, but again, if players can't play then there's not much we can do.

"We have looked around the county and tried to find bowlers who we believe will have the quality to play Minor Counties cricket.

"The only problem is that there are not that many within the Cheshire structure who are good enough.

"That leaves us with the option of looking outside of the county, which we are encouraged to do.

"We got Alexis Twigg (a former Cumberland player) in last year and he did very well. If there are not many players to choose from, then we are forced to look elsewhere."

Fixtures
23-25 May - v Berkshire (Newbury) Western Division
13-15 June - v Devon (Oxton) Western Division
20 June - v Berkshire (Cheadle Hulme) MCCA Knockout 2nd Round
27-29 June - v Dorset (Bournemouth) Western Division
11-13 July - v Wiltshire (Alderley Edge) Western Division
8-10 August - v Oxfordshire (Banbury) Western Division
22-24 August - v Shropshire (Chester Boughton Hall) Western Division