Little Lever has pulled off a massive coup with the signing of South Australian Redbacks’ skipper Jake Lehmann for their 2023 North West Cricket League campaign.
Lehmann is an accomplished batter who skippers South Australia in State cricket.
Son of Yorkshire’s legendary Australian Darren, Jake has forged quite the career himself following his breakthrough 2015/16 season. The left-hander struck his first three centuries of his first-class career and compiled 623 Sheffield Shield runs at 44.50.
Lehmann made his State debut in 2014/15 after receiving his first rookie contract. He turned his maiden Shield century into a big one when he posted 205 against Tasmania in Hobart in November 2015.
Less than two months later, Lehmann made a dramatic start to his Big Bash career for the Adelaide Strikers. Walking out for his first bat at T20 level, the first ball Lehmann faced was the last delivery of a chase against Hobart Hurricanes. He needed four to win and instead lifted Simon Milenko over mid-off for six to seal the victory.
The British Passport holding Australian has since gone on to score 4,000 plus Shield runs with 9 centuries and an average nudging 35. He has been equally proficient in List A cricket with over 1,300 runs, again averaging neigh on 35.
Lehmann has also enjoyed success in England – following in his father’s footsteps with a stint at Yorkshire in 2016 (384 Championship runs at 54.85), then another with Lancashire in 2019 (191 runs at 63.66 in the Royal London One Day Competition).
Lehmann, who has also represented Australia A, is now set on a UK return in 2023 having signed with Little Lever for the inaugural North West Cricket League season, following club stints with Cannock (2011), and Reigate Priory (2015, 2019).
