With the departure of Tom Hampton at the end of the 2023 season, High Wycombe were in search of a new bowler - but with the already in-form AJ Woodland, Cameron Parsons, Henry Chapman and Connner Haddow - HWCC wanted a new wicket-taking spinner to join the reigning Home Counties Premier League Division One Championship side.
Venturing over from Wokingham, where former HWCC 1XI player Conrad Louth plays alongside newly signed Tom Hampton, Wycombe took on Uttley as an off-spinner and mid-to-low order batter.
In conversation with Uttley, he mentioned, “The conversations went well. It seemed a great fit for me and the club with them wanting someone with my skill set.”
Wanting a change, Uttley discussed how Wokingham had given him a chance to develop as a player but wanted to push for a title every year and felt that High Wycombe was the best place to do so.
“It was a tough decision to leave Wokingham. It’s been a great place to develop and learn from some brilliant people. But it felt like the right time to move on and push to win a title every year.”
High Wycombe Cricket Club went undefeated in their 2023 campaign, claiming the trophy without much defence from the rest of the pack. Uttley spoke about how HWCC has always been a challenging side to play against and that he enjoyed the challenge but felt that now was the time to be a part of that team and help continue the club's success.
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“I’m really looking forward to being a part of the team, building relationships on and off the pitch. I’m looking forward to the bowling partnership of Conner and myself, plus pushing for a back-to-back title”.
Out of the last four seasons, High Wycombe has won three league titles, including the Covid Cup in the 2021 and 2023 seasons. Uttley, who represented England XI in the European Championships in Spain, brings a wealth of competitive experience and skill that hopes to bring continued success to HWCC in the 2024 season.