CSNI announce double signing

Agnew, 19, who is from Durban, will be making his playing and coaching debut in Ireland. Dylan played first and second eleven cricket for Pinetown CC in the KSN Premier League and is a qualified coach with experience coaching in a range of schools in Durban.

Blain said: “I am very excited to have the opportunity to play Premier League cricket with one of the NCU’s top clubs, after many years at Cliftonville I felt that the time was right to step up to play premier league cricket. I am looking forward to the challenges and hopefully the many successes that lie ahead this season.”

Club captain, Andrew Cowden said: “I’m delighted to secure the signing of Alan. Alan will bolster our seam bowling options, as well as adding to the depth of our batting and he will contribute to us improving in the field. There is no doubt that he has a lot of talent with the bat, ball and in the field and hopefully we can nurture this talent and allow Alan to be a consistent performer in the premier league. I know he will enjoy the challenge that Premier League cricket brings.”

Club chairman, Ivan McMinn, said: “Alan is very welcome to CSNI. As the statistics prove, Alan brings with him a vast amount of experience and success. I wish Alan even more success at CSNI and am in no doubt that he will be a very strong addition to the 1st XI squad.”

Speaking about the signing of Dylan Agnew, Andrew said: “I’m delighted that Dylan is joining CSNI. I believe this is a great opportunity for a young guy to come over and develop his game, experience a high standard of cricket in different cricketing conditions, as well as experiencing a different culture. Dylan will add to the strength and depth of our 1st XI and I’m excited to see what he has to offer. I’m sure he will have a great experience with CSNI and I’d like to wish him a successful season.”

The chairman commented: “We are really looking forward to Dylan’s arrival in early April. Notwithstanding his mere 19 years of age, Dylan brings with him an impressive array of cricketing success and we are not only anticipating that he will contribute well on the pitch but that he will also add real value to our wide array of youth and school coaching programmes. We will keep him very busy over the summer months in his coaching role, however we will also ensure that he will be able to maximise his experience by seeing around Ireland in the coming months.”