If Joe Lawrence was nervous about taking on the captaincy at Redmarley Cricket Club you couldn’t have blamed him.

The 26-year-old is in his first season in charge of the County League Division One side and is following in the footsteps of his dad Bill, who was 1st XI skipper for many years before stepping down “10 or 15 years ago”.

It’s never easy taking on a job that was once done by your dad and Bill, 63, is still heavily involved with the club.

As well as being chairman, he also captains the 2nd XI where he is helping to bring through some of the many promising youngsters, and also tends to the ground alongside Tony Watkins.

“He’s been at the club a long, long time,” said Joe, “since the 1970s. I’ve been with the club since I was eight so I’ve played there all my life.”

Captaincy is something Joe wanted to do and he added: “It’s an intense job but I’m enjoying it. I want to get all the players singing from the same hymn sheet.

“On the pitch, I like to make sure everyone is backing each other up.

“We need to play more consistently and to do that we need to be more disciplined in our game management.

“Our long-term goal is to get out of the County League.”

For that to be achieved Joe will have to weigh in with his fair share of runs. Like his dad before him he bats at four but unlike his dad, who also bowls medium pace, he rarely turns his arm over.

“I don’t like to bowl, I like to give that responsibility to others,” he chuckled. “Put it this way, if I’m bowling we’re in trouble.”

Like all captains, Joe has his go-to players when he needs wickets or quick runs.

“James Holland is in his 30s and has been at the club all his life,” he said. “He’s our opening bowler and can bat as well.

“Sam Aston is another seamer who can bat. He’s very good.

“Then there’s Mike Alley who is a huge hitter in the middle order. He also bowls 70mph off five paces.”

Redmarley own their ground and clubhouse which is situated in the heart of the village.

“It’s a lovely setting and a great track,” said Joe. “We’re never struggling for players.”

If Joe does find himself short of numbers one week he doesn’t have far to go to plug the gaps because his older brother Mark plays alongside his dad in the 2nd XI.

And to complete the family connection, mum Shirley is also a familiar face around the club. She is “forever doing the teas” said Joe.

Bill, meanwhile, is good enough to play for Gloucestershire over-60s and Joe is fulsome in his praise for what he has done for Redmarley.

“Dad and Tony Watkins are the pillars of the club,” he said.