RUGBY Cricket Club (RCC) will ramp up their preparations ahead of the new season with a 40-over friendly against Rochdale this weekend (Saturday, April 8).
The friendly takes place exactly one week before the resumption of the league season when Rugby play Walmley whilst their other three teams have staggered starts.
Players are chomping at the bit to return to the pitch after both of Rugby’s second and third teams secured promotion last term and they fielded a fourth side in the league for the first time.
The club’s newly-elected chairman, Matt Ewer, said: “Getting the 2nds and 3rds promoted was a key ambition for us last season, so seeing that become a reality was really rewarding and a great effort from the guys playing in those sides.
“Our membership is growing each season and we are really focused on youth development, so having good quality, competitive cricket for players outside of the first team is essential for us.
“We’ve seen a number of new players joining RCC, along with a group of hungry youngsters keen to get stuck into adult cricket, so there will be healthy competition for places in the club this year.
“Having the 2nds and 3rds playing at higher level ensures that players are always being stretched and closes the gaps between the sides, which in turn makes it a more natural step when players move between the teams.
“The addition of the 4th XI was a great success too, creating more opportunities for people to play in competitive league matches, but with a great sense of fun and inclusivity, blending youth and experience effectively.”
The club’s first team finished ninth in the Warwickshire Cricket League last season as they came out the wrong side in a number of close games and were dogged by injuries.
Ewer, who is also club captain, missed the entire season through illness and is eager to return to the field and lead the team up the table this term.
He added: “Despite finishing in the bottom half of the table, there were plenty of positives that we can take from last year and I think we’ve learned a lot.
“The Premier Division is the highest standard its been in my memory, so every week we are up against strong oppositions and testing ourselves against quality players.
“The team changed shape last year with the likes of Kyle Taylor, Ash Cutts and Kasir Shah signing during the season and Hugh Cochrane breaking into the 1sts and scoring two centuries at the top of the order.
“The lads have been looking really strong in the winter and we’ve signed a South African overseas player Divan Posthumus this year to bolster our fast bowling stocks, which is an area we’ve struggled recently.
“Our seam attack has been our strength over the last decade, but it has changed a lot and most of us are on the wrong side of 35 now, so Divan will also be tasked to develop our next generation of seamers.”
The club have identified a number of talented young seamers who Posthumus will work with, whilst he will spearhead the first team attack, coming straight out of a successful first class season in South Africa.
And Rugby have also retained the services of Wes Landsdale, the prolific batsman who enjoyed a stellar 2022 season, who will act as head coach for the forthcoming campaign.
Ewer said: “With Wes and Divan working in tandem, we feel we’ve got a great coaching focus in the club this year, it’s a wonderful opportunity for all players to tap into their experience and skills.
“Wes was fundamental in getting our girls and ladies section off the ground last summer, which was another big win for us and has brought an exciting new dynamic to the club.
“The ladies have been training all winter and we have really high hopes to see this part of our club grow in 2023.”
Rugby received a further boost after their sponsorship deal with Stonewall Security was renewed as the pair team up for the third consecutive season.
