New Aston Rowant captain Josh Smith has targeted an instant return to the top flight of the Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League.

The 22-year-old batsman, who succeeds Wes Morrick, said: “We were not in the bottom two until after the last game. We got caught in a position we should not have ended up in.

“We have certainly stren-gthened for the league and the ambition is to bounce straight back up and mount a real challenge in Division 1 next year.”

Rowant’s signing include left-arm seamer Andrew Dyer from Durban club Pinetown, and he will make his debut at Dinton in Division 2 tomorrow.

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With Dyer playing there is no place in the side for Morrick, who has been at the centre of a dispute with the league over his player category during the winter.

He will instead line up in the 2nd XI against Oxford Downs.

IN: J Elliott (West Indian Cavaliers, Nottingham), D Shirazi (Ealing), A Dyer (Pinetown, Durban), S Barras (Shipton-under-Wychwood).

OUT: K Penhale (Banbury), N Ferraby (moved to Jersey).

TOMORROW’S TEAM

Aston Rowant (v Dinton, away): Morgan, Watling, Cook, Smith (capt), Dyer, Muttitt, Harris, Needham, Quainton, Storton, Matthews.