Harpreet Singh has smashed four centuries in his last five matches for Barnsley Woolley Miners and his coach believes he is one of the best players ever to ply his trade for the club.
The Indian batsman made 118 in a league victory at Appleby Frodingham on Saturday which moved the Shaw Laners up to fourth in the league. He added a brutal 132 not out on Sunday against league leaders Wakefield Thornes who Barnsley beat for the second successive weekend to reach the semi-finals of the Yorkshire Leagues Knockout Cup.
He has 722 runs for the season at an average of 66, with 525 coming in the last five innings which have contained four centuries and a first-ball duck. Barnsley have had England players such as Geoffrey Boycott, Martyn Moxon, Darren Gough and Gary Ballance in the past but coach Chris Marples believes Singh should be considered alongside them.
He said: "Harpreet has to be one of the best in the club's history. I know there have been some exceptional players at Barnsley but Harpreet is an outstanding modern cricketer.He's the best overseas player I have ever seen in club cricket and I can't imagine there have been many better ever at this level. He can play every type of shot, he's very good tactically and he has a real desire to win games."
Singh wants to play for India in the future and Marples believes it is possible. He said: "I don't know too much about the depth of Indian batting but he must be capable."He has been made captain of his side back home and, if he carries on the form he is showing with us, he has a chance."
On Saturday, Singh hit 16 fours and a six in his 118 off 135 balls to lead Barnsley to 252 for six. After the openers were out cheaply, he shared partnerships of 89 with Eli Richards (31), 57 with Beck Frostick (24) and 56 with Ali Jahangir (19 not out). The hosts fell short on 186 for nine as Oliver Jackson took three wickets and veteran wicketkeeper Haider Jahangir claimed three stumpings. Barnsley are 34 points behind the leaders with ten games to play and 12 points awarded for a win.
Marples said: "It's going to be very, very hard to catch Wakefield but we will try our best and it's not over yet. It was a very professional performance at Appleby who used to be our bogey team."
On Sunday against Wakefield, Singh smashed 132 not out off 106 balls with 17 fours to lead Barnsley to 293 for five. He shared a stand of 145 with Frostick who hit eight fours in his 59 from 54 balls. Thornes then collapsed from 209 for four to 262 all out with three wickets each for Singh and Dan Waldron.
Barnsley will take on Yorkshire Academy in the last four of the competition which pits sides from all four of the Yorkshire ECB Premier divisions against each other. Marples said: "Harpreet and Beck batted brilliantly and to get 293 in 40 overs is a great effort. At one point, it looked like Wakefield would chase it but we have a never-say-die attitude now in our side and we got the win. It's great to be in a semi-final and have a glimpse of silverware."
