Keswick Cricket Club has high hopes that their new Sri Lankan professional, appointed this week, will have a big impact, writes Keith Richardson.
Nisala Tharaka, 34, a medium fast right-handed all-rounder, is a player with first class and international credentials in that he has regularly played for Sri Lanka A and was called up for his country’s test squad in the summer of 2024.
“We are really excited at getting Nisala on board,” says KCC 1st XI captain Paul Hindmarch.
“He is a very experienced all-rounder who will fit superbly into our side. We’ve got a player who can have a big impact with both bat and ball.
“Our overseas players in recent seasons have been primarily batters who bowled spin as a side line so to have a medium-fast bowler who bats is a significant change.
“There’s a genuine excitement around the players and the town about the new signing.
“Nisala joins us with a huge amount of experience behind him – over 100 first class games, multiple appearances for Sri Lanka A and he was even called up to the test squad to face England in 2024.
“To have someone of that calibre in our club is massive – not just for what he’ll bring on the field but also for everything we can learn from his wealth of experience.
“On the field he is a skilful bowler who bowls at pace and is a real threat with the bat. He scored a double hundred in the northeast the last time he was a professional in the UK.
“I can remember being a junior at the club and the place buzzing at the arrival of a new professional. Now, as 1st XI captain, I’ve got that exact same feeling heading into next summer.”
There is far more to being a professional at a cricket club than individual and team performances in league and cup matches at the weekend.
Players must hold relevant certificates and be an England Cricket Board qualified coach. And at Keswick the new professional will play an important role in coaching and working with the club’s junior section.
Keswick CC currently has competitive junior teams at Under 11, 13 and 15 age levels. Junior coaching is also taking place indoors at KCC throughout the winter, sessions being held in the Howard Allen sports hall at Keswick School.
Paul added: “Nisala is going to be a huge asset at Keswick and not just for the first team but for all senior players (Keswick runs three senior teams and a women’s squad) and especially the junior ranks at Keswick CC.
“Junior coaching is a big part of signing an overseas professional and I’m sure he will have a positive impact on the many young players at our club.”
Paul and his brother Stephen, a former professional footballer, who also plays for the KCC 1st XI as an opening bat, played a major part in the recruitment of Nisala Tharack and both are now looking forward immensely to next season beginning in April 2026.
“It’ll be here before we know it,” says Paul “and it’s shaping up to be an exciting year for every club in the league.
“The Northern Pyramid reorganisation of the structure of league cricket in the North West of the UK is now in place, and the stakes have gone up appreciably, and rightly so, for everyone.
“The league winners (of the Cumbria Cricket League Premier Division) will earn promotion into northern league division two and, make no mistake, that’s our target.
“That’s what we’ll be fighting for.”
Reflecting on his first season as captain of Keswick CC 1st XI in 2025, Paul said: “I absolutely loved it. There were highs and lows and just about everything in between. But overall, I feel we are moving in the right direction.
“The fact that we got our hands on some silverware winning the T20 final, reaching the semi-finals of the Higson Cup and finishing second in the league showed that we were competitive and are clearly doing a lot of things right.
“We now need to make the decisive next step, and our new professional will play a vital role in enabling us to do just that.”
And of the players in the various squads he added: “There’s always room to grow, individually and collectively.
“The biggest opportunity for us as a team is taking more responsibility – especially with the bat – and turning starts into match-winning contributions.”
Originally from Rosthwaite in Borrowdale, Paul and Steve progressed through the junior ranks at Keswick CC. While Steve chose football as a career path, Paul joined Durham CCC as well as going on to be a professional cricketer at various clubs.
He is also a highly qualified level 4 ECB coach.
