Diss Cricket Club captain pleased to have Mbeki Joseph on board for 2022 season

Diss Cricket Club captain Lewis Taylor is hopeful this year’s overseas addition will have a similar impact to the one made by Kadeem Alleyne in 2021.

The all-rounder from Barbados made a big impression last summer, scoring 445 runs at an average of just more than 40, as well as taking 18 wickets. Such form was key in helping Diss to preserve their Norfolk Cricket Alliance Premier Division status with a seventh-placed finish.

This time around Mbeki Joseph has joined Diss – a batsman with experience of having represented the West Indies at Under-19 level.

Joseph’s performances at the top of the order helped the Windies qualify for the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2019, where he would go on to score a battling 38 against England.

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old’s career-best knock at youth international level came after that tournament with a 44 versus Canada.

Taylor said: “Kadeem was a real success and it actually got a lot of attention on the club, which is great.

“We’ve decided to go down the same route with another player from the Caribbean. Mbeki got in touch with us towards the end of last year and we got the ball rolling.

“Everyone is really excited to have him in the squad because he’s got such a good pedigree.

“We’re actually hopeful that Mbeki could end up being even more effective with the bat than Kadeem – that would be massive for us.”

While the hope is that Joseph will slot in for Alleyne when it comes to batting, it does leave them a pace bowler short at the moment.

It is a situation Taylor is keen to rectify before the 2022 campaign gets under way.

“We’re currently working on bringing a bowler in,” he added.

“Mbeki is more of a spin bowler so with Kadeem no longer with us it does leave us a seamer short.

“There are a couple of deals on the go at the moment and hopefully it’s something we’ll be able to get sorted.”