One step at a time as Kibworth attempt to reclaim title

The dreadful winter weather caused the campaign to be delayed by a week in order to give beleagured groundsmen more time to get ready.

But eyes now turn to action rather than preparation.

Last year saw Kibworth toppled from the league’s summit for the first time in two seasons.

And they begin their attempt to regain the Premier Division crown against Uppingham on Saturday.

But, despite the desire to bring back success, skipper Sunny Patel insists his men are not going to look too far ahead.

“I’ve told the lads to forget last season,” he said.

“They can remember being on a losing side – and that might be a motivation for us – but we don’t want to be looking at the end result.

“We won’t be worrying about winning the league or winning cups.

“We will just go out and try to do the basics right. If you do that, the end result will look after itself.

“If you look too far ahead or worry about winning the title back you can get a bit giddy.

“We’ve trained hard and the lads are excited to get going but we’ll only be taking it a step at a time.”

Kibworth have been boosted by the big signing of former Scotland international Rob Taylor.

Taylor has moved up the A6 from local rivals Market Harborough where he spent several seasons – latterly also in the role of director of cricket.

And Patel explained: “He will be a great asset for us.

“Bowling left-arm offers us a different angle but he’s also destructive when it comes to batting.

“He’s a wonderful cricketer and it will be great to have him in our side. It will also be great to have him in our dressing-room.

“He’s played international cricket, he’s played at a World Cup and he can share that knowledge with us.

“He will be there to talk to the lads about different things and he brings a whole lot to the club.”

Another positive change, according to Patel, is the decision to switch from draw cricket to a win-lose format.