Adrian Knox’s sporting life has come full circle.

Lydney Cricket Club’s new chairman made his name as a dynamic back row forward for the rugby club just up the road but he has now been converted back to his first love.

“Up until I was 15, cricket was always number one for me,” explained Knox, now 50, who was an opening batsman.

“I played in the England Schools festival – it’s now called the Bunbury festival – and I made the most runs and had the highest individual score but when it came to choosing the England Schools team I was only 12th man.

“I was mortified. I thought b******* to this, I’m going to play rugby.”

Perhaps the biggest irony was that Steve James, the ex-England and Glamorgan batsman and Knox’s great friend, was chosen for Wales Schools and then went on to enjoy a successful career in cricket after it looked as though rugby may have been his chosen sport.

“Jamer was a very, very good rugby player,” said Knox.

Knox, who was James’ best man, was talking to the Local Answer from his home in Lydney, which was built on land which used to be belong to James’ parents.

He has no regrets about the way his sporting life turned out.

“I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he said. “I didn’t jack in cricket, I still played for Lydney. It’s just that I put rugby first. If there was pre-season rugby training, I’d be there.”

You have to say that Knox made the right choice. He played 340 games for Lydney Rugby Club and scored 82 tries which is still a club record for a forward. He also had spells with Gloucester and Cinderford as well as playing for Gloucestershire at under-20 and senior level alongside the likes of Gloucester greats Mike Teague, John Gadd and John Orwin.

He also got chosen by the South West to play against South Africa A, Queensland and Argentina, so he was a seriously good rugby player.

So what has rekindled his love affair with cricket after all these years of putting rugby first?”

“My son Jack,” he said. “He bowls off-spin and bats. He made his debut for the first team last season and I was also in the team. His first wicket was ‘caught Knox, bowled Knox’. That was a nice moment.”

When asked how good 16-year-old Jack is, Knox said: “Alright,” before adding, “hopefully he’ll be there or thereabouts in the first team this season.”

If young Jack does have a spell in the 2nd XI he’ll come under the watchful eye of his dad who will combine his chairman duties with captaining the second team.

“I’ll try and bring some of the young kids through,” said Knox. “I’m still okay to bat but fielding is hard. My arm has gone and I can’t even shot put the ball in.”

Knox has taken over as chairman from Robert Park, who he describes as “Mr Lydney”.

“He did the job for 10 years and was one of the best,” said Knox. “He asked me last summer if I wanted the job and I told him that as long as he thought I was up to it I’d love to.”

It was a busy winter at the club with part of the clubhouse being re-roofed as well as the acquisition of a new electronic scoreboard.

On the field Lydney have a new captain as they prepare for life in County League Division One after last season’s relegation from the Gloucestershire Division of the West of England Premier League.

Peter Glynn has taken over from Ed Jones who, Knox said, did a “marvellous job” over the previous eight years.

“We hope to bounce back,” he said. “We’ve got a really good bunch of kids. Whenever you ask them to do something they do it.”

The club will again be relying heavily on the runs of opening batsman Johnny Kear as they look to make a promotion push.

“He is our go to man,” said Knox. “He’s our number one, he’s a seriously good club cricketer. A couple of years ago he got 900 runs. Last year he only got 400 and our lack of runs was our problem. We relied on him too much.”