New captain Cam Nichols cannot wait for Ashington CC's season to begin

And for Nichols – who was rubber stamped as skipper at the club’s AGM in November last year and who is thought to be one of the youngest to take on the role at the age of 20 – the day cannot come quickly enough.

The Alnwick-based all-rounder takes over from previous incumbent Sean McCaffery, who announced last term that he was stepping down after six-and-a-half seasons, and as he cast an eye towards Saturday Nichols said: “I can’t wait to get going and get back playing with all the lads.

“It feels like it’s been a while, but we have been training for a couple of months now and everyone is getting back into the flow of things and starting to look really sharp.”

He continued: “We had a really strong season last year, finishing third in the league as well as winning the Bobby Smithson Cup and we are hoping to do well and be up there again.

“We are 100% capable of being up there so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be. Hopefully the weather continues, and we are good to go on Saturday.”

Nichols said the opportunity of becoming skipper was a real honour.

“Having the opportunity to be captain of a club like Ashington is a real honour to be honest,” he said.

“Being captain is something I never thought I would be in my career, but to be asked if I wanted to give it a go was an offer I couldn’t really turn down.”

The Mighty Acorns have secured the services of Sri Lankan Avishka Perera as their new professional and Nichols said: “I think Avishka is going to be a great hand. He looks like he’s an excellent player who has got the world at his feet in terms of where he can get to, and hopefully we can help him with that.

“We’re also hoping he can come in and show his skills and give us an extra boost, and help us with being up the top end of the table.”

Ashington have also brought in four new signings – Dan Gardiner, Alexander Charnley, Harry Parkinson and Conn Sullivan – and Nichols added: “They are all really exciting players. Dan Gardiner is a lad I’ve grown up with playing cricket. I know the talent he possesses, and I really can’t wait for him to get a chance to showcase his skills at Ashington.

“Alexander Charnley is another really exciting prospect. We haven’t seen him train yet but from the things I have heard he is meant to be a very strong hand with the bat so I’m looking forward to seeing how he performs.

“Harry Parkinson and Conn Sullivan are just young lads who have really, really impressed during pre-season and they have a lot more to come.

“Harry has a good bit of pace about him for being a lad so young which no doubt will cause batsmen a few problems, whilst Conn has the ability to turn the ball quite significantly and has great control.”