Pelser not rejoining Leyland for 2013
Brett Pelser |
Leyland Cricket Club today confirmed that South African Professional Brett Pelser will not be rejoing the club for season 2013. The statement from the club reads as follows:
"It is with much sadness that Leyland Cricket Club have to announce that professional Brett Pelser will not be re-joining us for the 2013 season.
Due to the difficult financial situation the club currently finds itself in, we are unable to honour the contract that had previously been agreed with Brett.
We wish to thank Brett for the effort he has put in for the club both on and off the pitch during his three years as professional and for his understanding in mutually agreeing to terminate his contract.
Brett Pelser, the captain of the North West provincial side in South Africa, joined Leyland Cricket Club immediately prior to the 2010 season and established himself as one of the most successful and prominent professionals in the club's history.
In 99 matches for Leyland he scored 2925 runs at an average of 39 with three hundreds and 17 fifties. His highest score of 121 not out was made at Lancaster in May 2010.
In the 2011 season Brett scored 1008 runs in the Northern League and in doing so broke the club professional record set by West Indian great Gordon Greenidge in 1993.
In 2012 he shared in a club record partnership of 233 for the second wicket with Luis Reece against St Annes.
Brett's medium pace swing bowling developed during his time with the club and in total he took 160 wickets at an average of 15.16 over three seasons.
His best bowling of 8 for 22 versus Preston in September 2010 came in the game that clinched the club's first Northern League Division 1 title for 19 years and represents his best career bowling figures in any form of cricket.
Statistics alone however only partly explain Brett's impact on Leyland Cricket Club.
From the very start of his spell as professional his enthusiasm and knowledge of the game helped transform the mind-set of everyone at the club. His positive outlook and determination to succeed, coupled with a fresh approach to training were hugely influential factors in the unprecedented success enjoyed across the club in the 2010 season.
Brett's coaching has helped many players improve their own game over the last three years and we hope to continue to reap the benefit of the work he has done with our junior players well into the future.
Leyland first team captain David Makinson said of Brett's departure, "I am obviously very disappointed that we have been unable to guarantee the package Brett signed for.
He was looking forward to joining us again in a few months and helping us maintain the progress we have made since his arrival in 2010.
I'd like it to be noted that Brett is no way accountable for the problems we have encountered. I'd like to thank Brett for all he's done for the club.
I have been playing in Northern League cricket for 35 years and for his all-round contribution and influence on the club as a whole,
Brett is by far the best professional I have come across. I hope he can help have the same effect on his new club as he did at Leyland."
Speaking from South Africa, Brett had these words to his former club mates,
"Leyland Cricket Club has been my home for the last three English summers and I have loved every minute of my time there.
I would like to thank everyone who has been involved at the club, each and every individual has contributed to three of the most amazing summers of my life.
From the juniors up to first team and right through to the bar staff, I am truly going to miss everyone.
My goal when arriving at Leyland back in 2010 was to try and leave the club in a better way than when I arrived; I hope in some small part I was able to achieve this. I will be a LCC supporter for life and will be coming down to the club as often as possible.
I wish Leyland Cricket Club and all the people who give up their time to help run it, nothing but success for the upcoming season."
