Ashen Silva Signs For Settle Cricket Club
Settle Cricket Club have confirmed they have signed Sri Lankan all-rounder Ashen Silva as the clubs professional for the forthcoming 2019 Ribblesdale league season. Silva has spent the past three seasons with Great Harwood in the Lancashire Cricket League scoring more than 3,000 runs in his time with the club as well as taking 125 wickets.
Settle Cricket Club finished in third place last season in the Ribbesdale Cricket League and lost the Ramsbottom Cup Final to Padiham Cricket Club. The move will also see him split coaching roles between his new club and the town’s Giggleswick School.
Speaking about the signing Settle Chairman Andrew Davidson said, “There were games last season where we buckled and lacked that class, know-how and mental fortitude to see out the games, I think that his experience will assist us to do that next season.
He will also give a presence in the dressing room and around the club and we want Ashen to show the rest of the team what it means to be and what should be expected of the club professional. His work with our younger players will be vital to help them move from the junior ranks to senior teams, their careers in league cricket will be better for his input.”
Davidson also believes the link-up with the school will be beneficial to both parties and revealed that Silva’s reputation as a coach was a major factor in the decision to bring him to the club. Davison added, “We have let the coaching side slip at senior level in recent seasons, mainly due to not having a proper cricket professional.
Ashen’s remit is to gel the team on the field by performing and giving advice and wisdom and to inject passion and enthusiasm into the coaching aspect of the club’s activities. We have always tried to find a pro who not only performs on the park but adds value off it by leading on the coaching front.
We heard that he had become available, so after extensive talks with Giggleswick School about sharing the professional, the opportunity to combine his duties as club and input with a supporting coaching role at the school, we put together package which is quite rare as an offer to league club professionals and he accepted the offer.”
Chadwick Media 