TROWBRIDGE captain Mike Reynolds is hoping that his side are primed and ready to replicate their 2015 success and kickstart a second successive title challenge when the new season gets under way on Saturday.

After almost being relegated from the West of England Premier League two years ago, the County Ground outfit romped to the Wiltshire Division title last term but as a result of the league’s restructuring ahead of this summer, Reynolds’ men were denied promotion to the new second tier.

Despite winning their division, the intricacies of the WEPL’s reshuffle meant that Trowbridge will once again ply their trade in the Wiltshire Division, which is now the league’s third tier, but skipper Reynolds reckons that his club have wasted little time feeling sorry for themselves and are instead focussing on topping the table once again in 2016.

“At the start of last season, the league warned us that we might miss out on promotion but we had to give ourselves every chance – unfortunately, we got the short end of the stick,” said the Trowbridge skipper.

“Promotion would have been great but we’ve taken that on the chin and we’ll just have to try and win the league again this year.

“We had a great season last year, winning 15 games, and we’ve kept the same group of players here, apart from bringing in a new overseas player (wicketkeeper/batsman Brendon Louw).

“We’ve had a few pre-season games rained off but we did have a good win against Street last weekend.

“I got 80 runs, another one of our guys (Sam Julyan) got 40 and so did our new overseas. We did bowl a few extras though, so I think our bowling is something we need to work on early on.”

Australian ace Andrea Agathangelou, who also signed for Leicestershire midway through the season, starred as Trowbridge’s overseas recruit last term but this campaign will see South African Louw line up in Reynolds’ team.

The 24-year-old plays first-class cricket for South Western Districts and achieved the most dismissals in both the Cricket South African Sunfoil Three Day Competition (33) and Cricket South Africa One Day Competition (nine) last season as he was named his club’s player of the season.

Reynolds added: “Brendon has fitted in well so far. He’s a good keeper and most importantly, he seems a good guy, too.

“If he can be as good as Andrea was, we’d be delighted.”

Trowbridge begin the new season at home to Devizes whilst Westbury, who finished as runners-up last term, host Great Bedwyn.

CORSHAM, under the captaincy of Ashur Morrison, begin their Premier One campaign with an away trip to local rivals Bath tomorrow.