Bath Cricket Club 1st XI captain Robin Lett says the countdown to the 2013 season is well and truly under way at North Parade…
Meeting up for our pre-season day is always a nice way to whet the appetite before the start of the campaign and we chose last Saturday to have ours.
Each year, it gives us a chance to meet any new members of the squad, pick through the previous season and look ahead. Having lost out on the West of England Premier 1 title last season by the narrowest of margins and in tough circumstances, the boys are raring to go this term and our squad has strengthened to reflect that.
Mitchell Wilson has returned after his spell with Derbyshire CCC came to an end and we have also secured the signature of Lansdown quick Jordan Price. Add to that the potential return of James Campbell, who has been so prolific in the past, and we have a strong looking squad for the coming season.
We know how tough it is to win a league title and I feel that with the squad of players we have assembled, we have what we need to lift that trophy at the end of the season. We have learnt some hard lessons off the back of last year and it is clear that this time around we will have to be a lot more clinical when we get into winning positions.
You would have to go all the way back to 1996 to find the last instance where Bath CC went two seasons without winning a league title and that in itself carries its own pressures.
We start with friendlies against Werrington, Sidmouth and Cardiff, during which there will be opportunities for players to stand up and nail down a place in the starting XI before the competitive stuff gets going on May 4 against new boys Ashcott & Shapwick.
The pre-season schedule - weather permitting - will give me plenty of opportunity to play around with a few ideas and settle on a team to play that first league game. There are some tight calls in terms of selection right now and these games will be highly competitive.
Off the field activity this winter has seen the clubhouse and car park receive a stunning facelift. Last season was difficult at times with the work going on but our new facility looks terrific.
We are all just looking forward to seeing it from the middle. Only three weeks to go!
