NEW Clacton Cricket Club skipper Imran Sheikh feels ready and prepared for the responsibility of becoming captain.

The long-serving all-rounder has replaced Ryan Chamberlain at the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship side.

He says it is a huge honour to be given the role and plans to lead by example, hopefully inspiring his side to a promotion push back into division one.

“It’s a real privilege to have been appointed captain,” Sheikh told the Gazette.

“The club means so much to me.

“It’s been a big part of my life and it’s nice playing cricket with your mates, almost within a family environment.

“I’ve been vice-captain for five years and feel ready to take over as captain.

“It’s a big responsibility but I feel I’ve been here long enough, and know the game well enough, to lead the team and hopefully have a successful season.

“I want to lead by example and we’re expecting to do well this year.

“We want to push for promotion and I believe we’ve got a strong enough squad to be up there in contention.

“It’s a side packed with local lads and we’ve been together for a while, so matured as players and as a team.

“I know we’re good enough and we’ll certainly be doing our very best.

“Division one is our goal and we’ve been training hard, having two sessions a week rather than one. We’re really pushing ourselves.”

Sheikh, 31, is a product of Clacton’s colts system and has been with the club since he was 14.

He has high hopes for the season but knows that in terms of performance, an improvement is needed in Saturday’s match at Haverhill.

Clacton’s stuttering start to the season continued last weekend when they went down by four wickets at home to Braintree.

They batted first and were all out for 182, with Sheikh top-scoring with 47.

Barry Stephens (five for 35) and Louis Cant (four for 52) were the chief destroyers for Braintree, before Warren Celiz and Daniel Chalk took centre stage with the bat, scoring 77 and 41 respectively.

Harlan Greig took four wickets for the Seasiders.

“The loss against Braintree was hard to take after the start we had, being 110 for two but then all out for 182,” said Sheikh.

“We had a lot of starts but no-one was able to go on and make a big score on a very good batting wicket, which was the difference in winning and losing.

“Our seamers didn’t get off to the best of starts but dropping their opening batsman in the fourth over didn’t help as he went on to score 70-odd.

“There were positives from the game, such as our never-give-up attitude which nearly turned the game in our favour.

“Harlan’s 40 runs and four wickets were other highlights.

“Potentially, I believe we’ve got the best squad in the league but, so far, we haven’t shown it.

“We’ll continue to work hard and hopefully put a good run of wins together and push up the table.”