Lancashire League preview

CORRIE Jordaan has played down his return to Lowerhouse tomorrow as "just another game".

And those sentiments were echoed by his former skipper Matt Hope who leads Lowerhouse again tomorrow.

But Hope also revealed that the West End side could benefit from knowing a few of the spinner's "secrets".

New Rishton professional Jordaan's highly-successful first stint in the EW Cartons Lancashire League at the West End last year ended on a controversial note.

Lowerhouse's players came to a decision that they wanted a batting pro, despite Jordaan's success with the ball - he topped the 100 wickets mark.

Eventually, he still signed a contract but then cancelled it on his return to South Africa and was ultimately snapped up by Rishton.

But Jordaan, who has made another good start by taking plenty of wickets for Rishton, is adamant that there are no hard feelings or grudges on his part against hos former club.

"It's just a normal game of cricket for me and I am going to do my best for my new club," he said.

"I am enjoying it at Rishton at the moment but I have no bad feelings about what happened at Lowerhouse last year.

"There have been a lot of allegations and ugly stories but I don't bother about them because I know they are not true.

"I have no problems at all with Lowerhouse and nothing to prove. I nearly won the league for them last year and I enjoyed my time there. "The amateurs decided they wanted someone else, a batting professional, so I cancelled my contract.

"I wouldn't have come back to England, never mind the same league, if there was any truth in the stories.

"I just want to enjoy my cricket. I am not going to change my attitude, I play my cricket hard and try to win.

"Whoever wins on Saturday wins, I have no grudges towards Lowerhouse at all.

"I made a lot of friends last year and I wish Lowerhouse a lot of success. I hope I left something for them to work on with what I did last season."

Hope said: "We have always had the utmost respect for Corrie as a bowler.

"We saw him at close quarters last season so we know better than anyone just what he is capable of.

"So there is a great deal of respect for Corrie within the side. But we also know some of his secrets.

"The wicketkeeper Andy Chippendale and myself (because I fielded in the slips) know a little bit more than most and we have tried to pass on a few tips to the more established batsmen. "We tend to have a lack of self-confidence against spin bowling and we know we can't afford to let someone like Corrie dominate us."

Hope played down the rift that developed between Jordaan and the rest of the Lowerhouse players last summer.

"As far as I am concerned I had a difference of opinion with him but there is no problem now.

"I still have that opinion but it is a new season and what happened last year is history.

"And as far as we are concerned it is just another game."

Tomorrow's games: Accrington v Nelson; Church v Todmorden; Colne v Enfield; East Lancs v Burnley; Haslingden v Bacup; Lowerhouse v Rishton; Rawtenstall v Ramsbottom.

Corrie Jordaan is organising a cricket coaching course costing £50 for youngsters aged eight to 17 at Rishton from Monday-Friday, May 25-29 (10am-3pm). Applications must be received by Wednesday, May 20, and further information can be obtained from the Rishton professional on 0411-984944.

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