Horspath captain Will Eason has warned their Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 1 rivals that they are not just there to make up the numbers.

The village club, who open up with a trip to Banbury tomorrow, completed a rem-arkable rise from Division 5 of the Cherwell League in 2004 by winning promotion to the top flight this season.

Eason said: “For the club it doesn’t get much bigger than this.

“We can keep talking about what has happened in the past, but it is just phenomenal really that we are in the top ten elite teams in the area, which is something we should be proud of.

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“Every week is going to be a huge challenge, but we need to treat each game as it comes.

“We are not there to make the numbers up. We are there to win games of cricket and perform.

“We will train hard and do our utmost to stay in the league because we want to keep progressing.

“We are certainly ready for it and have earned the right to be in the league. These are very exciting times.”

Horspath have bolstered their squad by signing Aust-ralian left-arm paceman Adam Price and big-hitting Bledlow Village batsman Adam Mould.

However, wicket-keeper Andy Wynd has returned to his old club, Brill, and fellow gloveman Joey Todd is not expected to return from Australia until July, which means Robbie Eason is set to step in behind the stumps.

Mould will make his league debut tomorrow along with batsman Steve Green.

IN: A Price (Oxford), A Mould (Bledlow Village), T King (Oxford Downs), R Hipwell (Shrivenham).

OUT: A Wynd (Brill).

TOMORROW’S TEAM

Horspath (v Banbury, away): W Eason (capt), R Eason, Cutter, Ali, Phillips, Foster, Mould, Green, Price, Belcher, Faruq.