The 2026 Cumbria League season gets underway on Saturday and there are a number of changes in professional personnel throughout the Premier Division.
Carlisle Seconds have replaced the relegated Egremont and with Michael Slack retained as pro for the first team in the Northern League, the club have brought in an overseas amateur for their Cumbria League side.
South African David Rhoda is a proven, high-class all-rounder, described as “stroke-making right-handed batter capable of impacting games anywhere in the order, alongside being a skilful right-arm leg spinner”.
A former South Africa U19 international, David featured at the 2012 ICC U19 World Cup, claiming 4-26 in the third-place play-off against New Zealand.
He has first-class experience with Gauteng, having progressed through the age groups alongside players such as Quinton de Kock and friend of the club Keaton Jennings.
Following successful spells in Ireland and England earlier in his career, David returned to the UK last season with Morecambe CC, where he enjoyed an outstanding stay, taking 54 wickets at 17.91 and scoring 772 runs.
Carlisle – whose first team won three successive League title before leaving to join the Northern League – start with a home game against Cleator.
Their visitors have re-engaged their 2024 professional Rishabh Tiwari who spent last season in the Lancashire League with Darwen.
Two local-based players continue their professional duties at Millom (Nathan Waterston) and Wigton (Chris Hodgson).
Millom start with a trip to Cockermouth while Wigton visit Whitehaven, and both will find new men occupying the key roles with the respective opposition.
Cockermouth have brought in New Zealand amateur Jacob Madegan to fill a role successfully carried out by Mikyle Louis a few years ago, who has gone on to play Test cricket for West Indies.
Whitehaven had engaged Mbeki Joseph, a 25-year-old West Indian batsman who wass replacing fellow-countryman Terrance Warde.
The Playground club would have been happy to employ Warde again but new Government rules prevented him because of the number of first class matches he had played the previous year.
Joseph then found he had matches back home to complete so Whitehaven are in talks to sign a Sri Lankan for the season and awaiting clearance.
For Saturday’s opener they have registered sub pro Gareth Severin, a Kiwi who is professional this season for Middleton in the Lancashire League.
Workington’s new Sri Lankan professional Vishva Chathuranga arrived on Wednesday and will make his debut at Keswick, who are also unveiling a new Sri Lankan pro in Nisala Tharaka.
A 34-year-old all-rounder Tharaka has played for Sri Lanka A while 27-year-old Chathuranga, is also an all-rounder and has represented both Sri Lanka Under-19s and Under-23s. It should be an intriguing match-up.
The other game features champions Furness at home to Dalton and their former pro Pramod Muduwartha will be back for the hosts.
Muduwartha was the Furness professional in 2021, following an initial attempt to bring him over in 2020, which was blocked due to Covid. He enjoyed an outstanding season in 2021, helping the side win the league trophy and the T20 as well as finishing Higson Cup runners-up.
In 2022, things didn’t go to plan due to availability issues, resulting in the popular Muduwartha signing a late deal with Lancashire League side Enfield CC where he went on to stay for four years.
Dalton’s new pro is Vaibhav Bhatt, a forceful right hand bat who can also keep wicket who will be having his first taste of English conditions.
He plays for Uttarakhand in his native India and is keen to impress on his first professional appointment in England.
Division One fixtures are: Edenhall v Cockermouth 2nds; Egremont v Whitehaven 2nds; Lanercost v Threlkeld; Wetheral v Keswick 2nds; Caldbeck v Seascale.
