D.S.M. are pleased to announce their team of sponsored players for 2010.

Lee Hodgson (Yorkshire CCC and Marton CC)

Lee has played first class cricket for Surrey and Yorkshire and last season made a great impact in the White Rose county’s first team mainly in one day games. He is also English pro for Marton cricket club, the current North Yorkshire and South Durham Premier league champions.

Lee is a quick bowler who regularly bowls between 85 and 90 mph. He is a hard hitting batsman and has been 12th man for England on more than one occasion.

Chris Rushworth

PHOTO BY KIND PERMISSION FROM M R FLETCHER

Chris is another DSM professional cricketer. He is Sunderland CC’s Durham CCC contracted player for 2010. A pace bowler with real aggression Chris is also a hard hitting batsman. He is touring the UAE with Durham pre season in 2010.

Alex Roberts

Alex is the latest professional cricketer to be sponsored by DSM Cricket. A very talented all rounder, Alex is a medium pacer and top order batsman.

As a young player, Alex made his debut for Yorkshire 2nds in 1999 and was YCCC under 17 young player of the year in the same year. He played in Sri Lanka for the ECB and against the West Indies Under 19s in the same year. The following year saw Alex voted YCCC Academy player of the year and he toured Australia for England Under 19s and played in the ICC U 19 world cup in new Zealand. In 2003 he signed a 2 year development contract with Durham CCC scoring 139 for the Academy and 70 not out for Durham 2nds against Warwickshire. Injuries over the next year or two meant Alex was released by Durham and he took up the post of professional at Middlesbrough CC in 2005. This was followed by winters playing in Australia and New Zealand where he soon became a prolific run scorer down under. In the 2007 NYSD season he scored a massive 1251 runs for ‘Boro’ at an average of 74.25 with a highest score of 150 not out. He also became a regular minor counties player for Cumberland averaging 90 in the 2008 season. Alex played for Essex and Leicestershire before being released in 2009. the winter saw him captain Berwick in Melbourne. In 2010 he returns to pro at Middlesbrough and has also signed to represent the new ECB team “The Unicorns” to play in the pro 40 competition. DSM Cricket are proud to have a player of Alex’s talent onboard for 2010.

James Dobson (Durham CCC Academy, Durham CCC U 17s, Darlington CC and The Doghouse CC)

James is a top order batsman who toured Sri Lanka and the UAE with Durham CCC. He bats at number 4 for Darlington CC 1st XI in the NYSD league and also played for The North of England Under 16s at the ECB National cricket centre of Excellence at Loughborough University in August 2009.

James is an excellent fielder and won Darlington CC 1st team fielder of the year in 2009. He has also kept wicket for Darlington and Durham and The North of England. James has captained Darlington youth sides and every age group of Durham CCC. Along with Andrew Sturgeon, James helped out Bahrain under 17s in an International tournament at Longhirst hall, Morpeth.

Liam Coates (Darlington CC, NYSD league U 21s)

Liam was released by Durham CCC Academy at the end of the 2009 season and has been playing for an Australian club down under in the winter of 2009. An all rounder, Liam is a quick run getter and fast bowler aswell as a remarkable fielder.
Liam also toured Sri Lanka and the UAE with Durham CCC. He played for the North of England in the U 15 Bunbury Festival in 2006.

Andrew Sturgeon (Durham CCC U 15s, NYSD league U15s Darlington CC 2nd XI

Andrew is another talented wicket keeper who plays his cricket at Feethams. He represented Durham U 15s in the Ampleforth Festival 2009 where his team ran out as Champions. In his first full season of senior cricket, Andrew won the wicket keeping award for the NYSD league Sunday division 1.

Callum Prosser (Hartlepool CC)

Callum is an aggressive fast bowler who opens the bowling for Hartlepool CC 1st XI and has trained with Durham CCC Academy.

Danny Thexton (Durham CCC Under 14s, Crook Town CC)

Danny is a terrific young wicket keeper batsman who has broken records at his club at Junior level and performed well for the county age group teams.

Peter Armstrong

Peter is vice captain of Darlington CC 1st XI. He has presented the NYSD Premier league side in The Presidents trophy and as a left arm spinner won the league bowling averages in 2009. He joined the Darlington club in 2009 from Norton where he had been club captain.