Lancaster Cricket Club's professional Atharva Taide enjoys outstanding debut season

The 21-year-old flew back to India on Sunday, just 24 hours after finishing off the campaign in style.

He scored an unbeaten 132 in Lancaster’s victory over Fulwood and Broughton at Lune Road.

That knock took him to 1,020 runs in Division One action for the season, with him topping the league’s batting averages.

Taide also became the highest-scoring pro in a season for Lancaster, passing Jannisar Khan’s 942 runs in the summer of 2006.

As well as finishing top of the batting averages, Taide did likewise in the bowling stats.

He took 54 wickets in the 196 overs he bowled, his best figures being 6-25 in a game against Leyland.

Taide now joins up with his home club Vidarbha and his long-term aim is to play in the Indian Premier League.

Looking back on his first summer in England, Taide told the Lancashire Post: “It went better than I expected.

“I was expecting a lot of big challenges and I got those.

“Lancaster is a great club and I really enjoyed playing the season with them.

“Everyone at the club made sure it felt like home for me and the season went well not just as a player but as a person.

“I had a place in the town, I did some coaching with the kids during the week.

“There are some great young players at the club, as well as the experienced lads like Ben Simm. It has been a pleasure to play for Lancaster.

“I was really impressed with the standard of cricket in the Northern League, there is a lot of talent.

“As well as playing for Lancaster, I was sub pro a few times in the Lancashire League at Haslingden, Todmorden and Darwen. I enjoyed that.”

Taide’s ton on the final day against Fulwood and Broughton, was his third of the season.

F&B might be glad to see the back of him, Taide having scored 122 against them in the reverse fixture in June.

Said Taide: “I scored 122 off 85 deliveries and then picked up four wickets.

“That was a good all-round performance. I took a couple of catches as well.”

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