Mead believes Datchet have recruited players who have the ‘X-Factor’
Datchet captain Billy Mead believes the club have added two or three players who have the 'X-Factor' to transform the team from title outsiders to potential contenders.
Datchet finished last season's Home Counties Division 1 campaign very strongly, however, a shaky start meant they weren't ever quite able to reel in the league's title challengers.
But this summer Meads expects Datchet to force their way into that conversation, and he knows a good start to the season will be crucial in achieving this.
They begin their campaign away to one of the promoted sides, Great Brickhill, on Saturday, and while the visitors certainly won't be taking their hosts lightly, they'll be keen to get off to a winning start.
Looking ahead to the summer, Mead said: “We've introduced a couple of new players, who look very exciting and can only strengthen our team.
“We'll hopefully have a bit more depth this year. We have some clear plans and roles going into it which we've spoken about.
“It's an exciting time for the club and it feels like a club that's on the up, 100 per cent.
“If we can string a few results together at the beginning, which we struggled to do last year. But once we got on a roll, we were a very good side. We want to carry that momentum from last summer into this season.”
With High Wycombe, Henley and Wargrave likely to be among the contenders for his season's Division 1 crown, Datchet are going to have their work cut out to dislodge them, but with Caleb Faulkner moving through from the second team having proven his worth last summer, and Harrison Ward coming in having played for Sussex and Oxfordshire, Mead is confident his side will have the kind of allround game to trouble most sides at this level.
“Caleb played in our twos last year but was definitely good enough to play in the ones,” said Mead. “Due to the overseas rule, he couldn’t play. But when he's back from school, he'll come into the first team.
“We've also added Harrison Ward, a Sussex and Oxfordshire opening batter. He can win you games on his own so that's a very exciting signing, as well as Argen Tendulkar, who will probably open the bowling for us as a left-arm seam. He's another person who adds to the X-factor.
“They are three very strong additions who will only help us and we're very excited about.”
Mead added: “I think the goal must be going into the season to try and win it. I think everyone wants to win. We'll take each game as it comes, and that's a long way off because there are 18 games, but I think that's got to be the goal.
“We had an opportunity to finish second last year if we'd won our last game. And I think if we were honest with ourselves, we didn't deserve to finish second, but the opportunity was there. Hopefully, if we can progress from last year, we can go better.
“I think High Wycombe will be up there, they usually are. They've been very good for the last few years. Henley have recruited some good players and
I know Wargrave will have a good team.
“A few teams have recruited well so I expect it will be the strongest league for a while, certainly since I've played in it.
“Hopefully the Datchet boys will be up for it.”