Upton skipper Matt Owen isn’t one for sitting on the fence when asked about his team’s aims for the season.

“We’ve got to go up,” he said.

Fifth in Division Three of the Cheshire County Cricket League, he believes, is no place for a club of Upton’s stature and ambition. 

And even one promotion might not satisfy him.

He added: “We should be looking at Division One, if I’m being brutally honest. 

“We’re looking at back-to-back promotions. 

“The strength in the side now rivals what we had last time we were in Division One, so promotion this year is a bare minimum. 

“We’re looking to dominate. We had a good run in the T20s last year which gave us the confidence we can do it against teams at a higher level, so I’m excited to see how the year goes.”

Big-hitting Australian opener Chris McArthur returns to the club where he scored 2,268 runs at 48.30 in 2017 and 2018, while nibbly seamer Joe Williams also arrives, from Barrow.

And in Liam Sundve and new recruit Umar Zeb, from Warrington, Owen believes he has the division’s two quickest openers.
Added to all that, there’s the experience of former Chester Boughton Hall skipper Lee Dixon and the ambition of chairman Jez Lamb. 

It’s clear to see why the captain thinks the side which hosted last year’s ECHO Cup finals day can make the step up in the league.

Owen said: “The new guys have bought into what we’re trying to do very quickly. 

“People saw what we were trying to do last year, but we were hampered by injury in the early stages, then put together a good run towards the end of the season. 

“I think if we can carry that momentum over then it’s 100% achievable. 

“Jez is very ambitious at the top of the club and always fully behind us, and puts us on the map with the way he does things, with the social media presence and the streaming – you’ve got to have the on-field performances to match, and I think that gives the lads inspiration as well. 

“We saw what we could do in the ECHO, getting to finals day and mixing with sides well above our level, and not being too far from making a final. 

“That says a lot about what we can do. Everyone’s ready to go.”