Jack Hobbis led from the front as Painswick claimed the Gloucestershire County Cricket League Division One title last season and with it promotion back to the West of England Premier League.

Hobbis, in his first full campaign as captain, took over 40 wickets with his left-arm spin – he was the league’s leading wicket-taker – and also weighed in with some useful runs down the order.

As first seasons as the man in charge go, it was a pretty good one and the club will be hoping for more of the same when they step up a level.

“We worked hard as a team last season,” said 25-year-old Hobbis. “We’re a tight-knit group. We didn’t make too many changes last season, the core of the group didn’t change and that helped with consistency.”

Hobbis certainly led the way because he was available for all 18 games. However, that may not be the case this season because he is recovering from an operation on his right wrist and might not make the start of the new campaign.

With last season’s vice-captain James Harber not playing this season – “He’ll be a big loss, he’s our opening batsman and bowler,” said Hobbis – it means that George MacDuff could be leading out the side in the early games.

Hobbis will be on the sidelines providing support, of course, not that he has any worries about MacDuff.

“He’s Painswick through and through, he’s a good, old Painswick boy,” said Hobbis.

Hobbis, who lives in Hucclecote and works at The Peak Academy, a specialist school in Cam, is relatively new to the area having been brought up in Birmingham.

This will be only his third season with Painswick – he took over as captain halfway through his first campaign – but he came to the club with a good cricketing pedigree.

His previous club was West Bromwich Dartmouth, one of the big clubs in the Midlands who play their home games in the Birmingham League just a big six-hit away from The Hawthorns, the home of West Bromwich Albion Football Club.

Their captain was Kadeer Ali, the former Gloucestershire and Worcestershire batsman who is the brother of current England star Moeen Ali.

“I was in the first team for a while,” said Hobbis. “And I remember being 12th man when I was 13 or 14.

“Moeen was playing and he hit the ball to all parts, he must have scored 150 that day.”

Those sort of innings leave an impression on up-and-coming cricketers and Hobbis certainly had plenty of experience to call on when he was asked to take over as captain at Painswick.

So what sort of skipper is he?

“I wanted to join a club where I could have a bit of an impact,” he said.

“I’m an attacking captain who thinks about the game. I always try to take early wickets because if you don’t you get punished.”

And that aggressive intent is matched in his own play, both as a bowler and a left-handed batsman.

He is primarily a bowler and said: “I bowl left-arm orthodox. I’m a straight spinner, the odd one turns but I rely on accuracy and consistency.

“I’m at the batsman all the time, I give them no room and try to make them make the mistake.”

It’s no one-man team, of course, and Hobbis is delighted that wicketkeeper/batsman Luke Woolway is returning from South Africa to play again this season.

“He was in the top five runscorers in the league last season and had the joint highest number of dismissals along with Corse and Staunton’s Tim Dannatt,” added Hobbis.

They’ve also got former Gloucester rugby player Nick Marment in their ranks.

“He’s our rock, he’s the heart in the middle order,” continued Hobbis. “He’s phenomenal, it’s incredible how good he still is.”

Marment and Woolway will need to be at somewhere near their best if Painswick are to re-establish themselves in the Gloucestershire Division of the WEPL.

“The aim is to stay up and if we can that will help us to attract new players,” said Hobbis.

“Hopefully Ali Bressington will be able to play a few games for us and Sam Andrews, who is ex-Surrey 2nds, should be available this season.

“He had a back injury last season but is an all-rounder who can bat in the top four and come on first or second change.

“He’s in his mid-to-late 30s and it will be good to have another experienced head.

“It’s going to be a big step up but we don’t want to lose the momentum that we had last season.”

The signs appear encouraging and the club are certainly in good health.

“We run three adult teams on a Saturday and we’ve entered a Twenty20 League on Sunday,” added Hobbis.

“We also play Twenty20 in midweek and we’ve got plans for new nets and to set up a girls or women’s team.”

The future certainly does look bright and Hobbis is delighted to be part of it.

“I wanted to go somewhere where I could enjoy my cricket,” he said.

He’s certainly doing that!