CHESTER BOUGHTON HALL have secured their first signing ahead of next season’s Cheshire County League Premier Division campaign.

The Filkins Lane club have signed Lancashire Scholarship contract batsman Jordan Clark who did well in Premiership cricket for Bowdon last season.

Club chairman Jim Law confirmed the signing of Clark, and revealed that Darren Cruickshank and Chris Connolly would both be included in the Boughton Hall squad in the new year.

He said: “Jordan is only 20 years old and he played alongside Warren Goodwin last year for Lancashire seconds.

“Jordan was part of the Bowdon side last year has shown lots of potential and has become an exciting prospect.

“He will be joined in the Boughton Hall squad next season by former Chester player Darren Cruickshank who is currently playing in Australia, and by Chris Connolly, who has extended his stay with us for a third year.

“Chris spent a lot of time with Lancashire last year and unfortunately he also suffered a lot of injury problems.

“But we’re all hoping he can play a part for us next year because he is a young and quick bowler.”

Connolly has been selected for the 2010/2011 Lancashire Academy which was first introduced in 2002 with the primary aim to produce world class cricketers through identifying, assessing and further developing the most talented players available to the Club.

To date, the Academy has seen 15 of its graduates sign professional cricket contracts. Of these Steven Croft, Tom Smith, Stephen Parry and Simon Kerrigan have made an immediate impact for Lancashire’s first team in recent years.

John Stanworth, LCCC's Academy Director, said: “This is the largest group of new players we have had for five years and it is an indication of the strength of our Emerging Players Programme.

“It also is reassuring for me with this squad that selection is not just limited to players we have known about for several seasons. One player has been given a provisional place having previously never before played county representative cricket. He was identified at the Lancashire under 19 trials, progressed in the Colts and excelled in our fixture programme.”