Butt out at Peterborough Town after 10,000 runs and 22 tons, new skipper for Market Deeping, first fixtures of the season

The Pakistani star has joined Northants Premier Division rivals Brigstock for 2019 after scoring over 10,000 runs at an average of over 42 for Town in all competition since 2007.

Butt, who played for Pakistan in an under 19 World Cup, scored 22 centuries for Town and topped the Premier Division run-scoring charts in 2013 and 2016.

Last season he scored 490 runs - the lowest return of his Town career - and he will now try and boost the profile and performance of a Brigstock side who finished next-to-bottom in the Premier Division last season.

Town are well equipped to cope without Butt as they have signed top batsmen Josh Smith and Nick Paskins for the coming season.

They are both expected to take part as Town start their pre-season campaign with two friendlies in Nottinghamshire this weekend.

Town travel to Nottinghamshire Premier League sides Kimberley Institute tomorrow (April 13) and Plumtree on Sunday. Town are taking a strong side excluding star all-rounder Rob Sayer who is abroad.

Town start their Northants Premier Division campaign at home to Rushden on April 27. The ICC World Cup trophy will be on display ay Bretton Gate that day.

Town play at Oundle in a Rutland Division One match on April 21.

The Lincs Premier Division involving Bourne and Market Deeping kicks off on April 20, but the Cambs League doesn’t start until May 4.

Jamie Morgan has replaced Dave Sargeant as Deeping skipper. His brother Peter is the Bourne captain.

Bourne are in friendly action this weekend. They take on Esher CC at the Abbey Lawns tomorrow before hosting Uffington on Sunday.

Esher then move on to play at Oundle on Sunday.

There are four South Lincs League matches this weekend with Long Sutton and Cavaliers in action.

Cambs and Hunts are both in friendly action on Sunday (April 14).

Cambs will again be skippered by Wisbech all-rounder James Williams. Clubmate Josh Bowers joins him in the side against Cambridge University at Fenners this weekend.

Cambs: E. Ballard, B. Seabrook, C. Guest, C. Park, J. Williams, J. Bowers, L. Hill, M. Doran, Z. Akhter, S. Rippington, R. Singh.

Hunts have picked a strong side which includes Asim Butt and Ramsey skipper Michael Cafferkey to play the Cambridge MCCU side at Ketton CC (11am).

Ketton enthusiast Rob Vitas is the manager and Eaton Socon star Johnny Carpenter is captain.

Hunts: J. Carpenter, T. Sole, M. Cafferkey, A. Butt. Z. Manzoor, J. Smith, M. Levine, B. Hussain, M. MIlner, S. Dockerill, I. Saxena.

Weekend fixtures

Saturday

South Lincs Premier Division - Long Sutton v Graves Park.

Division One - Boston 3rds v Welby Cavaliers.

Friendlies: Bourne v Esher, Kimberley Institute v Peterborough Town, March Town v Downham, North Runcton v Spalding Town, Wisbech v Burwell.

Sunday

Friendlies: Bourne v Uffington, Cambridgeshire v Cambridge University, Hunts v Cambridge MCCU, Orton Park v CAMRA, Oundle v Esher, Plumtree v Peterborough Town, Snettisham v Spalding.