A LEADING South Lakes amateur bowler and a new opening batsman are new recruits for KENDAL, who again are spearheaded by Pakistani former Test paceman Kabir Khan.

Professional Kabir will have extra support behind him for his second term at Shap Road.

The Peshawar-based former Test international will be accompanied by his wife and their twin two-year-old sons this year.

Kabir made his mark as a devastatingly accurate opening bowler in his debut season, taking 66 wickets - more than anyone apart from Chorley's Josh Marquet.

He has been in good form for Habib Bank in Pakistan during their summer, revealed Kendal skipper David Fallows, helping his side reach the National One-Day final, in which they suffered a narrow five-run defeat.

Fallows said: Everybody took to Kabir as a person as well as a cricketer last year.

" He was a formidable force for us for us and his coaching contribution also meant great strides were also made in player development, particuarly with the juniors, which we'll be building upon."

Kendal have a new opening batsman in Martin South, the head groundsman at Sedbergh School.

South, a right-hand batsman, distinquished himself with Bradford and Bingley in the competitive Bradford League.

He is set to partner Simon Little after Kendal found it difficult to establish a settled combination last year.

Another newcomer is Ian Higson, the Head of Sport at Queen Elizabeth School in Kirkby Lonsdale.

The right-arm medium pacer topped the Westmorland League bowlers list playing for Westgate last year.

He took 45 wickets at an average of 9.11 runs and approached the Shap Road club in the close season with a view to testing himself at the higher level.

Sixteen-year-old Adam Cowperthwaite, a Cumbria schoolboy, joins the club from Arnside and the young opening bowler is expected to be in contention for a first-team place at some stage during the summer.

Kendal say goodbye to Paul Wilson, who was kept out of the side by fellow off-spinner Richard Ellwood and has returned to Burneside to play regular first-team cricket.

Matt Hartnett, who is committed to college exams this year, will be playing close to home at Windermere.

Fallows again skippers the first team while Andrew Dugdale takes over the second team reins from Phil Ellwood.

Fallows said: "We proved to everybody that we were one of the top sides in the league and that surprised a few people.

"We played some good cricket to get ourselves into second place and just slipped up in the last match when we were bowled out by Blackpool for 80 and had to be satisfied with fourth place when we might have been runners-up to Netherfield."

"We' ll be aiming for a top-three finish."