New trio aim for Chesterfield CC promotion

The Queen's Park club have announced three major arrivals as they aim to bounce back to the top flight of Derbyshire League cricket.

They have added leading all-rounder Muhammad Zaroob to their squad, unveiled Australian fast bowler James La Brooy as their overseas star and appointed Mitch Adlington as head coach.

Zaroob has an impressive record and Chesterfield chairman Nigel Mallender hailed his arrival as "a major coup".

The 32-year-old is a top-order batsman and seam bowler. Last season he played for Alfreton in the Premier Division, scoring 617 runs at an average of 41 and chipped in with 26 wickets. The highlight was an innings of 157 off only 133 balls against the strong attack of league runners-up Sandiacre.

He said: "I've always loved playing at Queen’s Park and couldn’t be happier joining Chesterfield. My aim is to be part of a positive promotion-winning team and I’m looking forward to sharing my experience with the younger members of the squad."

Mallender said: "Zaroob is a winner. He Is driven, ambitious, has an appetite for scoring big runs and clearly wants to play a part in a successful team. He’s a great lad too."

The 24-year-old La Brooy was the leading wicket-taker in the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association last season as he helped his club, Old Peninsula, to the league title.

Mallender said: "Friends of mine in Victoria know James and speak highly of him, both as a person and talented cricketer. I have no doubt he will excel in English conditions and prove to be a great fit for our club, on and off the field."

La Brooy said: "I am beyond excited to be joining Chesterfield. I love the direction the Club is heading in and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and making lifetime friendships."

Adlington, a level-three England and Wales Cricket Board coach, will play a dual role. In addition to his coaching duties, he will be a middle-order batsman and left-arm spinner in the first-team squad.

He is a cricket development officer working in the East Midlands. He is also a former Derbyshire Cricket Board coach and has represented Derbyshire at youth level.He joins from Morton Colliery, the former club of Chesterfield captain Harry Wilmott.

He said: "Working full-time in cricket for eight years has given me a knowledge across all aspects of the game which I’m keen to use at Chesterfield. I can’t wait to get started.”

Mallender added: "Mitch is an excellent communicator, positive, ambitious, passionate and with an infectious personality. At 25 years old, it is a great time to secure his services for what I hope will be a long and happy time at Chesterfield."

Chesterfield were relegated from the Premier Division on the final day of the 2021 season and finished sixth in Division One this year.

But Mallender said: "We are determined to assemble a squad capable of mounting a promotion push back to the Premier Division.

"At the same time we want to add depth and competition for places across all our senior teams and continue to provide a pathway for our promising youngsters into senior cricket at Chesterfield."

He added: "We have so many positive things happening around the Club at present. I truly believe we are on the cusp of a very special phase for Chesterfield Cricket Club."