CALNE Cricket Club has been rocked by the departure of two of their young stars to Wiltshire rivals.

South African cricketer Liaan Botes, 21, has turned his back on Calne to play for Westbury while aspiring starlet, Courtney Earl, 14, will make the short trip down the A4 to Chippenham.

Youth team chairman, Peter Knight, said: "It's been a bad few weeks to be honest.

"Courtney Earl's gone to Chippenham and we found out our overseas player wasn't re-signing on March 31 although he told us we would."

Knight said the club were angry Botes had not even contacted the club to say he would not sign despite assurances in October that he would.

"He said he would play for us all the way through the winter. At the time we were going to look for another overseas player.

"He could have said no and we would have thanked him for what he had done.

"He did not even tell us himself. It was not until March 31 when someone from Westbury told us.

"I personally think he was the best bowler in the Wiltshire League last year. He's a nice lad but timing was shocking."

Knight said a decision has now been made by the club not to search for an overseas player.

"We have not had a great deal of luck with overseas players. The last one was very good but the two previous were in it for themselves.

"We will not go out of our way to attract one but if one said, we would like to play for you, we'll have him."

Knight said he was personally disappointed to see Earl leave for Chippenham but that there was no animosity between the Hampshire Academy player and the club.

"We are disappointed because we feel it's a sideways move. He will still play in the same league as Calne youth and he had been playing in our first team regularly.

"What I like about him is he's got this winning attitude and he just felt he will be playing with better players at Chippenham.

"Certainly he has my blessing. I really want him to do well.

"No matter what happens, he started at Calne."

Knight said he feels this may be a blessing in disguise as the team may now blood some of their youngsters.

"There was a lot of good 16/17-year-olds in the second team and it means a lot of them will get the chance to play in the first team which will have a knock on effect to our seconds and the under 15s."