Kingsholm Cricket Club celebrate their 95th season in a very strong position.

The 1st XI have been promoted to the Gloucestershire Division of the West of England League, the 2nd XI are seeking promotion from Division Six of Gloucestershire County League and the 3rd XI, after winning promotion in their inaugural season, are now in Division One East of Cheltenham, Gloucester and Forest League.

These are indeed buoyant times for the club, who have appointed Ben de Vos as their senior coach as they look to establish themselves at the higher level.

Matt Cayless is captain again after last season’s County League title success with club secretary Tim Wheeler describing him as “thinking captain”.

While his leadership skills will obviously be very important, so will his performances with bat and ball.

Cayless will have pretty much all the players who served him so well in 2017 alongside him in the current campaign although there will be one new face. That’s Rob Birch who has joined from Apperley.

Continuity has been one of the keys to Kingsholm’s recent success with the club making a conscious decision a couple of years ago to back their youngsters.

When they make the short trip to play Gloucester City Winget on the opening day of the new campaign on Saturday 5th May they will have only Sam Wheeler, stalwart John Veits and Ryan Mcghee in the 1st team squad who were at the club when they were last at this level in 2011.

Veteran Ben Cambridge, one of the club’s all-time leading bowlers, is taking a step back this year but can be called on for cover

“We made the decision to give youth a chance,” said Wheeler. “We’re staying with our young players.”

Mind you, Sam Wheeler and John Veits will have big roles to play with their previous experience of WEPL.

“Sam bowls fast medium and is our main wicket-taker,” said Wheeler of his son. “John is our senior batsman and club’s leading run scorer.

“Our star performers with the bat are Jack Whiting, who joined us last year from Gloucester City Winget, Gavin White and James Boon, the club’s wicketkeeper, who converted with success to opening bat.”

It promises to be a very busy season at the club because they will also be competing in the National Village Knockout and County Cup competitions and will be playing in both Gloucester and Cheltenham midweek leagues.

The club also boast a thriving youth set-up and are always on the lookout for new players.

“The junior section continues to grow and improve with youth coordinator Ross Tominey continuing to oversee the running of the under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-16 teams with the help of his dedicated team of managers and coaches,” said Wheeler. “Come along to training on Friday evenings if you are interested in joining.”

The club are also hopeful that as many people as possible will join them for their annual dinner in September. It will be held in a marquee at their Henry Oppenheim Memorial Ground in Sandhurst “to celebrate 95 years of cricket and friendship at KCC”.