Tom Higson waits in the wings to take leading role for St Annes Cricket Club

Nathan Armstrong had stepped down to concentrate on playing after an injury-blighted 2019 and all-rounder Higson was happy to take the reins.

He inherited a side in a strong position after a real season of two halves.

A winless and worrying first half of the Northern Premier League campaign was followed by a surge up the table in the second half and silverware in the league’s 40-over knockout.

Higson told The Gazette: “It’s a little frustrating, I suppose, because we wanted to keep the momentum going but more than anything it just feels strange because nothing like this has ever happened before.

“We were well into pre-season, working well in the nets, then it just stopped and there’s no cricket. Everyone was hoping to get off to a good start this time.

“I don’t think we played bad cricket in the first half of last season but we just got on the wrong end of results.”

The former Thornton Cleveleys CC player has been relishing his fifth season at Vernon Road and his first as senior captain.

He explained: “Towards the end of last season Nathan had decided he didn’t want to be captain any more.

“The club asked him about doing one more season but he didn’t want to, though he is more than happy to carry on playing.

“They sounded out a couple of us and I said I’d do it. Captaincy isn’t something new to me. I always captained my age group teams in junior cricket.

“Of course it will be different at first XI level but I’m looking forward to it.”

The NPL remains hopeful of playing some “meaningful, competitive” cricket in 2020, though with six weekends of the league season already lost and no provisional date for a return, it is unclear what form that will take.

Higson said: “We had a captains’ meeting recently with all the clubs. It was very informal but it was an opportunity to find out what all the other teams think about playing this season.

“I think we’d all be happy to get some cricket in when it’s safe but we haven’t really thought about a format yet.

“I would understand some teams not wanting to travel longer distances but the most important thing at the moment is to keep safe.”

Higson was also looking forward to continuing his development as an all-rounder.

Having taken more than 150 wickets and topped 1,500 runs, he said: “I bowl off-spin and I think I’ve become more of an all-rounder at St Annes.

“As a kid I was probably more of a batter but my bowling has got better at St Annes. It’s probably a better bowling wicket and it turns a bit.”