LINDEN Park CC have signalled their intentions for next season by snapping up fast bowler Ben Entacott from Tunbridge Wells, writes Glenn Garrett.

Park signing a player from their local rivals is almost unheard of – in fact it's a bit like a Liverpool player transferring to Manchester United in football.

The 28-year-old will form an opening bowling partnership with Dominic Lanaway and it is one skipper and director of cricket John Harvey believes will strike fear into Kent league batsmen.

"Him and Lanaway bowling together could open the bowling for any Kent Premier League team," Harvey said.

"It's a tremendous signing for us and will hopefully push us on to the next level. There are some very affluent smaller clubs coming through the ranks.

"To compete with clubs with that kind of money we need to get people like Ben on board. I think it will improve our chances of winning the league next year."

Six foot seven inch Entacott has played a full season for Kent seconds in the past and this summer took 13 league wickets for Wells, at an average of 17.54. This included best figures of 4-33.

"In days gone by there would have been letters flying between chairmen about this signing," Harvey admitted. "In the 70s and 80s, when I was a lad, we would nurture players who were just about to do the business and along would come the chaps from up the road to whisk them away. So, for someone from my generation, this is payback."

Endacott was one such player who left Park as an 18-year-old and moved to Tunbridge Wells. Now he is back where he feels he belongs and is hoping to add another dimension to the Linden Park team.

"It will be nice to play alongside Abhijit, John and Dominic and help the club move forward," he said.

"The club is developing and I thought, as I was a colt there, it would be nice to go back and help them to progress to division two and division one."

And with news that overseas star Abhijit Kale has signed on for another year at Linden Park, there can be know denying 2010 will be an exciting one at the club.