WERRINGTON Cricket Club first team captain, Adam Hodgson, admits that finishing sixth in the ECB Cornwall Premier League was ‘disappointing’ in his first season in charge, but has vowed to turn things around next summer.

Having won the title in 2012, 2013 and 2015, many expected the Ladycross outfit to challenge for a fourth title in five years.

However the loss of influential all-rounder, Alex Smeeth, to Australia, coupled with continued selection troubles, and the signing of an overseas professional which didn’t work out, meant that they never featured in the title race.

As well as their league form, they were also knocked out in the semi-finals of the Hawkey Cup by County One side St Minver and failed to win their 50/50 Cup group due to the weather.

But the biggest change at the club was Hodgson taking over the captaincy from Ben Smeeth who decided to stand down after their third title in 2015.

Asked how he enjoyed his first campaign in charge, Adam admits that things could have gone better but is determined to ensure it was just an anomaly.

Adam said: “I loved every minute of my first season in charge apart from the lack of silverware.

“It’s been an honour for me to lead this great club and I’ve learnt a lot as I’ve gone on, so I’m hoping that as long as I get re-elected at the AGM, to really push on next summer and get us back to where we should be, which is challenging for the title. I really want that trophy on my mantelpiece.”

Being the first team captain at such a successful club as Werrington provides plenty of challenges.

With lots of players to choose from, many of whom expect to be in the firsts and seconds, Adam often has to let people down, but believes that explaining why is important.

Adam said: “The hardest part I found being captain was having to let people down by saying that sorry but you’re in the team below this week. Players obviously want to play at a higher standard as they can and that’s important.

But we can only pick 11 players in each team, and sometimes you have to make tough decisions, but the great thing about this club is that we have lots of competition for places so they know that they have to perform. If you do well there’s a very good chance you’ll get to move up so there’s always a goal to keep going.”

Having said that, it was a struggle in the first team this season.

Just a couple of weeks into the campaign, opening batsman, Simon Green, informed the club that he would be unavailable for the rest of the summer while South African professional, Ayavuya Myoli decided to go home at the end of July due to a family issue.

But while most clubs would be devastated by the loss of their overseas player with a third of the season remaining, the club were happy to let Myoli leave.

Adam said: “When he came to us and said I want to go home, we quickly agreed as a club that is the best thing to do. We knew by that stage we weren’t going to win the league or anything, so we parted ways.”

One pleasing aspect of the season was the performances of some of their younger players and the coming of age of Cornwall batsman Paul Smith.

Despite playing for the first team regularly since 2009, many feel the 23-year-old hasn’t quite fulfilled his promise, but becoming the vice-captain and a promotion to number four in the batting order, seems to have worked wonders.

In 14 league games he scored 534 runs an average of 44.50 while in the cup competitions he scored 258 runs at over 60, including a brilliant 81 not out in their National Cup defeat to Bridgwater.

Adam enthused: “Smithy carried us at times and if it wasn’t for him we’d have been in a lot of trouble on many occasions. He scored five or six eighties as well as a brilliant ton down at Penzance so I’m hoping now that this is just the start.

“All he has to do now is convert those starts into more big tons and we’ll have a really special player on our hands.

“Also this winter he’s gone out to Australia to play for Broadbeach Robina in Queensland along with Gribby (Mark Gribble) and Dinno (Tom Dinnis), so we’re expecting them to come back as even better players which can only benefit us.”

While Smith has had plenty of first team experience, the same can’t be said for some of the young bowlers who were tried this summer.

Seventeen-year-old opening bowler, Danny Warne, proved a massive hit and would have played many more times if it wasn’t for the second team’s battle to stay up in County One.

Adam continued: “Danny was really good for us, he went for about three an over when we played St Just at home and when we played Penzance he had ex-professional, Greg Smith, dropped first ball and then clean bowled Christian Purchase with a ball which did all sorts.

“As well as Danny, the likes of Darren Webber and Nick Adams did well when they played for us so we have lots of options going forward.”

Werrington is an attractive proposition for any young player, especially now the second team have secured another season of County One cricket.

Hodgson believes that was the most important thing to come out of the club in 2016.

Adam said: “The second team playing County One cricket is huge for us. It helps us attract even more players to try and push themselves into the first team and if they don’t get selected they’re still getting to play a really good standard of cricket.

“The difference is still quite big, but it is a lot less of a bridge to gap between the Premier League and Division Two.”

However with all progressive cricket clubs, preparation for next season is already starting at Werrington, with player recruitment being the most important.

An Australian all-rounder who comes from the same club as former overseas, Ian Fishman, is hoping to come, while closer to home, Adam is hoping to snare some targets from rival clubs.

Adam said: “We know that if we want to be back up there we need some new players, especially in the batting. We can’t bat like we did this season at a high-scoring ground like ours, because you’re going to struggle to win games. On the bowling front we also want a fast bowler or two because last season, without Aya and Sam Hockin who can often only play at home, we lacked someone with real pace.

“But if we can get the signings that I want, and we are close to some of them, and we train and prepare well, then I think we’ll go very close again next year.”

After the disappointment of last term, it looks like Werrington are determined to bounce back in some style.