BOVEY Tracey Cricket Club’s new skipper Seb Ansley has pinned promotion to the top of his target list for the season ahead.

But there is more to the Ansley agenda as Bovey re-group in the A Division following relegation from the Tolchards DCL top flight last summer.

Where Bovey Tracey are as a club going forward, and how they get there, is something Ansley has highlighted as a priority.

“For me, and those in and around the team, the consensus is we have to be aiming for promotion back to the Premier Division,” said Ansley, who has experienced the trials and tribulations of captaincy in white-ball cricket with Bovey.

“We know the A Division is not to be taken lightly – there are a number of good sides in it –however we must have confidence we can go out beat anyone. We have shown we can do that in plenty of Premier games over the last two seasons.

“How we go about that and ensuring we are bringing in young, new, or potentially less experienced players who will be important to the team in three to five years’ time will be key.”

Ansley, 28, will be looking to ‘senior pros’ in the side for tips as he settles into the captaincy.

“I've got enough of the older wiser generation (Pete Bradley, Lewis Hammett et al) around me to help me as I get into the role and look to add my own spin to the team,” said Ansley.

Bovey have had a wretched time in recent seasons, both of which ended with them in Premier Division relegation places.

A technicality saved Bovey from the drop in 2023 – only one side went down – but there was no rule-book reprieve for Bovey last term.

Not only is Ansley looking to bring on the next generation, he is also looking for greater contributions from established players.

“Apart from Musa Twala, our overseas player, only Jake Pascoe scored more than 300 league runs last season,” said Ansley.

“We must find ways to score more runs to afford our bowlers some scoreboard pressure once in a while.

“I have every confidence we have the players capable of this, and who will be chomping at the bit come the new season.

“The big challenge for me, aside from the nemesis of availability, is instilling that confidence in the individuals and their skill sets – and that they can score runs or take wickets in the A Division and higher.

“A large majority of our squad have, over our last few seasons, put in a game-changing spell or innings or both which is reassuring. But it's the consistency and regularity that we have struggled with and that will be the target. Maybe the drop in divisions will allow us to regain that?”

Ansley will anticipate runs in the book from new overseas signing Slade van Staden, a 21-year-old keeper-batter with the Dolphins franchise in South Africa.

We’re “Excited to welcome Slade who, hopefully, will be a great addition to not only the first team on the field with performances but also off the field and around the club as a whole,” said Ansley.