David Masters hopes to bring the fun factor back to Minster as 1st XI captain - but the aim remains the same.

Minster underachieved last season in the top tier of Kent League Cricket with a seventh-place finish in the Premier Division but it all starts again this weekend.

“We are playing to win, to win the league, just in a different way,” said new captain Masters.

“It is my pressure to try and win the league and the other boys’ pressure just to play cricket, that is the route we’re going down.”

Masters, 46, has taken over the captaincy from South African Ed Moore, who has moved on after three years with the club.

The new captain started his career with Kent before playing at both Leicestershire and Essex. Masters has been with Minster since 2020 after previously playing for Upchurch and Lordswood.

He’s stepped up to skipper the 1sts this term and is looking forward to a new challenge.

He said: “I was asked the question (to captain the side) and I said ‘yes, I would love to’.

“We didn’t have the best of years last year, with the team and the players we had, so it was just about trying to pull the guys together and get more of a club-feel atmosphere, a bit more of a happier atmosphere.

“Last year was hard. When you lose it doesn’t help, people aren’t as happy and weren’t enjoying their cricket as much.

“At the end of the day we are there to enjoy our game of cricket at the weekend, and that is the steps we’ve gone back to. We’ve signed a couple of new players, that have come in and settled nicely. It should be good fun.”

Minster have signed 23-year-old New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Quinn Sunde for the season while another youngster, James Speer, adds fresh blood to their bowling attack.

Masters said: “We needed to shake things up a little bit and get some young lads in.

“All of our bowlers kept getting injured last year, because they were getting a bit old, we now have a good mix of more younger lads and some older heads lingering around.

“We had a couple of young lads last year who weren’t quite there but another year on, they will be a year older and a year better.”

Minster’s rearranged National Cup match with Linden Park was due to be played on Sunday but the opposition conceded.

A friendly the day before against Dartford provided a warm-up to the new league season which gets under way this Saturday, with Minster starting away to Blackheath.

James Thompson retired on 107 not out in a 35-run victory over Dartford. Batting first, Minster posted 252-7 and then restricted the hosts to 217-9 off 50 overs.

Thompson also took two wickets - one of nine players to bowl. Bill Prideaux picked up 2-14.

Masters opened the batting and delivered three overs but is keen to help guide others in the team rather than be the main man.

“I will just fit in where the team needs me,” he said. “More to be a captain than to get the last bits and pieces they can squeeze out of me for the last year or two.

“Early on in the season it might be the case (that I open the batting) to try and see the new ball off a little bit. Club cricket is like that, hard work for the first 10-15 overs, they are chucking me in there, to kind of go and test the waters and see off that new ball so the proper batsmen can then come in and score some runs!”

Minster 2nds are set to host High Halstow at Gilbert Hall on Saturday (12pm) while the 3rds welcome Sheppey 1sts on the nursery ground. Minster 4ths are away to Sheppey 2nds at Shurland Meadow (1pm).