Eastbourne Cricket Club's new captain is hoping to 'bring the good days back' to the Saffrons

The club has had a rough couple of seasons. In 2023, they were relegated from the Premier Division along with Mayfield.

And last season in Division 2, they finished one place above the relegation zone by just 34 points.

But movements on and off the field have seen a positive winter for the Saffrons club and Lenham, who spent last season with Premier Division title chasers Three Bridges, is pleased to be back.

“I'm delighted to be back at Eastbourne to captain my hometown club.

“It's no secret that the club has struggled over the past couple of seasons but I'm hoping along with the squad to bring the good days back to Eastbourne Cricket Club sooner rather than later.”

Eastbourne have traditionally been a Premier Division club in the Sussex Cricket and in the last 25 years years have seen players such James Kirtley, Tom Smith, Ollie Rayner, Ben Brown, Ali Orr and Henry Crocombe come through the ranks to play First Class cricket and, in Kirtley’s case, international cricket.

And they are looking to get back at the top table of local cricket. Lenham said: “Our main focus this season is to be more competitive across the club as a whole.

“For the 1st XI, the goal is to be competitive in every fixture we play this year and ultimately to be challenging at the right end of the table come September.”

Off the pitch, Jon Purdey has taken over as chairman and the club have been very active on social media over the winter, launching new projects, including the inaugural Cricket District Premier League.

Lenham said: “There’s a really positive buzz around the club at the moment. Our new chairman, John Purdey has hit the ground running and already achieved a huge amount in a short space of time.

“And he’s only just getting started with several exciting projects already underway and plenty more in the pipeline, it’s shaping up to be a really exciting few years ahead for Eastbourne Cricket Club.”

Eastbourne kick off their season on Saturday, May 3 with a trip to Crowhurst Park in the T20 Cup.

A week later they travel to Buxted Park for their league opener. Their first home game is on Saturday, May 17 against Mayfield.