COLWALL Cricket Club will look to experience to launch a successful 2020 Worcestershire League Premier Division season after last year's promotion.

Following a stint as vice-captain James Wagstaff will skipper the first XI 27 years after he made his Colwall debut aged 15.

Ex-Worcester and Derbyshire seconds leg-spinner and hard-hitting batsman Wagstaff, 42, replaces Ben Cooke, captain for the past two seasons, who is moving away for work.

Another former Birmingham League campaigner Andrew Robertson, who joined last season and made an instant impact as an all-rounder in helping Colwall go up from Division One, is the vice-captain.

The top-order batsman and left-arm swing bowler won the club’s first team player-of-the-year award at the annual dinner.

Colwall hope to build on a successful campaign and get established as a leading top-flight outfit although Wagstaff is aware the task will not be easy.

“These are exciting times for the club and it would be great to see some more local talent join us for the challenges ahead,” he said.

“We are playing at a high standard, have a beautiful ground and a great family-friendly club.”

Club chairman Kim Berry is delighted that Wagstaff and Robertson are in tandem and at club progress with lots of vital close-season work being done.

“A huge amount of work has gone in over the last three years. Revenues are up, membership is up and importantly we are seeing more and more families watching matches at weekends in the summer,” Berry said.

“It is clear that we will need to attract good cricketers here as the competition will be tough but we are looking forward to the season with eager anticipation.”

Colwall will again run four Saturday teams with the fourths joining the firsts and seconds in the Worcestershire League while the thirds will stay in the Marches League.

The club have agreed a two-year sponsorship deal with Lockley Homes and the thriving junior section, which involved more than 180 youngsters last year, will be held as usual on Friday evenings.

Colwall begin warming up for the new season, which begins on April 11, with winter net sessions at the new facility at The Elms from Thursday, February 6, from 8pm until 10pm and continuing each Thursday until the end of March.