WOKINGHAM Cricket Club have signalled their intentions to compete for the Thames Valley League Division One title with the signings of Dan Housego, Michael Bates and Archie Carter, writes Dave Wright.

Housego – who played for Middlesex and Gloucestershire – has four first class hundreds, with a top score of 217 not out.

Wicket-keeper Bates, who represented England at under-19 level, played professionally for Hampshire and Somerset from 2010 to last year, and at the age of 25 hasn’t given up hope of returning to the first-class game.

He was a key player in Hampshire’s three limited-over trophy wins in 2010 and 2012, and at the time was rated one of the best young keepers in the country.

This season he is playing minor counties cricket for Wiltshire and, after failing to score, made two stumpings when they defeated Hertfordshire by 46 runs in the Unicorns Trophy at Warminster last Sunday.

Carter, a 15-year-old Forest School pupil, joins Wokingham from Emmbrook & Bearwood, where he enjoyed three sensational seasons, scoring close to 2,000 runs in both men’s and youth cricket.

He is clearly a youngster with a very bright future, as he proved when making 124 not out in a pre-season friendly against Eversley.

He followed that up with 80 runs for Forest in a schools game, but didn’t do as well last weekend, failing to score for Wokingham in their seven-run friendly win with Cove and then being dismissed for four when playing for Berkshire against Middlesex in an under-15 match at Sadlers End on Sunday.

This week he also played for the Middlesex Emerging Players Programme against Durham, being joined in the team by Berkshire under-14 player Rhodri Lewis.

It is another example of the close links that Berkshire are forging with Middlesex CCC.

Last weekend was quite a memorable one for the Carter family.

Archie’s brother Charlie, who also attends Forest, played for Berkshire under-14s at Bradfield College, while another sibling, Fred, played his first game for Emmbrook & Bearwood under-9s.

Archie will join Housego and Bates in the Wokingham squad for their opening league game at Marlow this Saturday (1pm).

The Oaks finished fourth in the table last season, just 11 points less than champions Cookham Dean, but, with their new signings, they look set to make an even stronger challenge for the title this year.

Skipper Stuart Hayter said: “Although we missed out in the last few overs of the season, I believe the foundation of a successful squad has been laid.”

He added: “Helping to mould and develop the club is Dan Housego, whose team of coaches will help to take the club forward.

“I have really enjoyed the experience that Dan and his team brought to winter nets and cannot wait for the start of the season.”

Less than a month ago much of the Sadlers End ground was under water, but the ground-staff headed by Simon Myles carried out a massive amount of work and it was fit for play last weekend.

One that didn’t take place, however, was Sunday’s proposed friendly against Finchampstead, but that was called off due to a shortage of available players over the Bank Holiday weekend.

So this enabled the Berkshire and Middlesex under-15s to take centre stage.

It was a rather one-sided encounter with the visitors making 242-6 (Luke Hollman 106) off 50 overs before dismissing their hosts for 137 in 38 overs with Michael Williams top scoring on 44.

WOKINGHAM beat Cove by seven runs via the Duckworth/Lewis method on Saturday.

The Oaks totalled 237-7 with Stuart Parsons recording a half century, and the visitors needed 47 from seven overs when the rain came down, leaving Wokingham the winners.

Paul Dewick (4-63) was the pick of the hosts’ attack as they held on for a narrow victory.