ADAM Clatworthy looks set to make his Purton debut against Winsley this weekend after making a miraculous recovery from a nasty hand injury.

The all-rounder, signed from Cirencester over the winter, impaled himself on a metal spike at work and required half a dozen stitches. The railing did not damage any tendons or ligaments in his hand, however, and somehow an initial three-week lay-off has been reduced to two ahead of Purton’s second outing of the WEPL Wiltshire Division campaign on Saturday.

For captain Elliot Hill, Clatworthy’s return is a welcome boost as his team go in search of their first victory of the season.

“I’m not sure what exactly he does at work but it was one of those metal security gates with three prongs at the top,” Hill told the Advertiser. “He got his hand punctured and luckily for him it missed the tendons and ligaments of his hand, otherwise he’d have been out for a heck of a long time longer.

“It was an extremely deep cut that needed several stitches and gluing. The prognosis was three weeks, I think this is the second week. It has recovered well and he’s been in and around the club and I know he’s keen to play, which is a great attitude to have.

“When I first heard the news it was during a tough week for the club and it was another thing to add to the list which was very frustrating. For him to come back, while he’s obviously a new signing, is like getting another new signing after the season has started which is great.

“He’s got a lot of potential with bat and ball and he’s a great fielder as well so getting him in the side will really add strength to our performances.”

Meanwhile, Hill has branded the weekend’s game as “the biggest” he has been in charge of as club captain at Purton.

He said: “It might sound a bit dramatic but in my mind this is one of the biggest, if not the biggest game I’ve captained at the club. If we can win it shapes our season up nicely with Akki and a few others coming back from injuries the week after.

“Obviously with it being effectively the second week of the season, if the result doesn’t go our way it doesn’t spell the end for our campaign but it does shape our season depending on what way the result goes.”

Elijah Samuel and Akarshit Gomel remain absent for Purton, while Mark Gardner is also unlikely to feature with Sam Pinchin set to open the batting with Tom Fullalove.