NEW Heathcoat skipper Dylan Penberthy-Hutchings has a simple aim going into the new Tolchards DCL season, which swings into action this Saturday with a home game against Paignton.

Heathcoat finished half way up the Premier table last season under the joint captaincy of Liam Lewis and Jack Dart. It was a transitional season for the Knightshayes club following successes on the silverware front under former skipper Pete Randerson.

Penberthy-Hutchings is clear sighted on his aims for Heathcoat, which are: “Winning the Premier Division has to be the target. If it isn’t then you are expecting to lose games.”

New faces at Heathcoat include Harvey Cutmore, an all-rounder studying at the University of Exeter whose home club is Oxted and Lympsfield in the Surrey Championship.

Charlie Mumford, a keeper-batter who has been attached to Hampshire, is another student set to feature in the first half of the season.

Heathcoat’s overseas player is South African Jesse James Albanie, a 24-year-old fast bowler currently turning out for the Limpopo Impalas.

Neither Lewis (triathlon training) or Dart (personal commitments) are likely to feature much or at all this season. Both are former Devon players with impressive batting stats for Heathcoat.

Keeper-batter Sammy Broomhead is studying in Cardiff and not planning to travel home for cricket during the first half of the season. 

Batter Simon Sobczak is working away and Ed Butler has joined the Royal Marines.

“Ed’s availability will be dependent on his commitments at CTC Lympstone,” said Penberthy-Hutchings.

Randerson barely played at all in 2023 due to family duties, but is expected to feature more regularly this term.

Although the University of Exeter contingent won’t be around after mid-June, Heathcoat will welcome back their own troop of scholars, among them Harry Southgate, Dan Pugsley, Freddie Bucknell and Will Edwards.