Being so close has kind of given us a sniff of what we can achieve this year.

Joe Noctor, captain

Sutton skipper Joe Noctor hopes his side’s experience of a promotion push will inspire them to more of the same this summer.

The St Helens side finished fifth in Division Two of the Love Lane Liverpool Competition, 44 points shy of a promotion place.

Noctor knows it’s the sort of gap that can be bridged by winning two or three crucial moments – and he’s backing his side to do just that in 2023.

The former Rainford man (above) said: “We had a good year last year and it’s given us a great platform to build on this year. 

“So we’re really excited to get back out there and try to challenge.

“We were competitive in every game. We ended up losing seven games – if you turn two of those into wins, that puts us right amongst the top two. 

“We have tried to go about things differently this year. And I think we’re in a much better place going into the season than we were last year.

“Being so close has kind of given us a sniff of what we can achieve this year.”

Noctor is looking forward to seeing what opener Joe Smith can do – he described him as one of the best amateur batters in Division Two, adding: “Last year was his best year by a country mile, and I think he still has some way to go with both bat and ball. 

“He’ll be really pivotal for us this year.”

And the skipper is hoping North West Thunder’s loss can be Sutton’s gain – the regional side released all-rounder Nat Brown at the end of 2022.

“Having her available most weeks last year was massive for us, and obviously we will have her available most weeks this year as well,” he said.