LEIGH Cricket Club have signed giant Aussie Test bowler Jo Angel for the new season writes Mike Hulme

The 6ft 7in pace ace from Western Australia recently joined the ranks of the great Aussie WA pacemen Dennis Lillee, Terry Alderman and Graham McKenzie, in claiming his 400th Pura Cup (previously Sheffield Shield) victim.

Jo has already achieved much in the game, including seven international appearances for his country and had a starring role in the Australian's defeat of England during the 1994/5 series. Among his many career victims he claims the most prized scalp of all, Sachin Tendulkar, and achieved the rare distinction of forcing the great WI opener Desmond Haynes to retire in his first bowl at international level.

Angel, who arrived in Leigh this week, will be 34 later this month. He bowls right arm but bats left-handed.

Now approaching their seventh year in the ECB Premier League Liverpool Competition, Leigh have constantly been in the top few in the league, finishing fourth last year and successfully retaining the Premiership Cup.

New skipper Dave Dove returns to the post he last held four years ago and is delighted at the chance to welcome the great Aussie bowler to these shores: " It is a major coup for Leigh to pick up a player of Jo's obvious calibre, particularly following on the heels of Pakistani Test player Iqbal Sikander last year.

"With a mix of youth - I could have up to four players of 17 years and below in the team - and experience will be looking to compete on a number of fronts and hopefully bring home some silverware for the third year running."

The club has also won a sponsorship deal with the IT communications giant EDS Memorex, who will be Leigh's main official main sponsor for the coming year.

Memorex Telex, www.memorex-telex.com, has been serving the corporate IT marketplace for nearly 40 years. Now part of EDS, they specialise in providing infrastructure solutions and IT support services throughout the UK and Europe.