LECHLADE will be hoping the impact of Luke Sellers can take them a step further and help secure the Wiltshire Division title in 2012.

Former Gloucestershire 2nds man Sellers has taken the role of player-coach and has therefore been tasked with shaking off the first-team’s bridesmaid tag.

And he said: “It’s the first time in the club’s history that they have brought in a player-coach, which is quite a progressive move for a club at this level.

“The club has come a long way in the last few years.

They are running three senior teams for the first time this year and an under 13s team, while they have also been raising money for new nets. So there’s lots of stuff going on in the background and it’s a case of transferring that onto the pitch. They have finished runners-up for the last two years so the aim is very much to go one better.”

Personnel changes have seen the arrival of top-order batsman Adam Clatworthy, who is also an occasional bowler, while all-rounder Arran Dickinson has arrived from Marlborough, where he was captain.

Tom Burgess has been given a chance to impress in the wicketkeeping position in the early season.

Lechlade visit Bassett tomorrow, who themselves have a new skipper in the form of Stefan Tyrie, who says he’s looking forward to moulding the next generation of ‘Bassett Boys’.

The former second-team skipper is taking over as first-team captain from Jag Chahal and is hoping that he can help continue the development of a side made up of local players.

Bassett finished third in the Wiltshire Division last season and Tyrie said: “I’ve been a part of the club for a while and when a few people put me forward as captain, I thought ‘why not?’.

“In the past, we’ve had the likes of Neil Twine and Roddy Smith, who were ‘Bassett Boys’ and we’re looking to try and keep that going with the young players who are at the club now.

“We haven’t really brought anyone in but players like Ali Wood, Anis Ali, Jack Paish, Dan Ellis and Sam Lawro have all stayed with us.”

Batsman Chris Gregory has made the step up from the second team ahead of Bassett’s opener against Lechlade.