AFTER Castrol Tessuti were bogged down in mid-table last season, the Oilmen are hoping that the only way is up when the 2004 campaign begins on Saturday.
Captain Mark Evans said: 'We're going for promotion and I'll be really disappointed if we don't go up this year. We've got to set our sights higher than last season and, as a team, the goal is certainly not beyond us as I believe that we now have one of the strongest squads in the division.
Personnel-wise, Castrol's squad will be similar to last season but they will be without the swing bowling of former skipper Ian Silcock, who has retired due to injury problems, and Rob Brumby, who has left the club.
However, Evans still believes that he has plenty to work with and is expecting big things from his side.
He said: 'Some of the players who were once seen as youngsters, like the Flanagan brothers, Mike Garvey and Damian Walters, who has returned from a knee operation, are now senior players, established in the first teams. We also have a good blend of experience with quality players like Darren Green, John Ball, Tony King and Chris Hutchinson.'
Playing in Division One of the Cheshire Cricket Alliance, now sponsored by Cheshire Building Society, Castrol will open the campaign against one of their closest rivals, both in terms of ability and geography.
Evans said: 'We start off at home to Chester County Officers, who I expect to be right up there with us. Our first game is massive and could ultimately prove to be the biggest of the season, so we've really got to hit the ground running. I'm slightly concerned about a lack of preparation but our net sessions have improved in recent weeks and come game time, we're always up for it.'
WHILE neighbours Castrol are bullish about their prospects for the months ahead, a few hundred yards further down the Chester Road playing fields, Ellesmere Port are just grateful to still be in the First Division.
Playing in their debut season in the Cheshire Alliance's top flight in 2003, Port avoided the drop in dramatic circumstances on the final day of the campaign.
Captain Phil Ashton said: 'Looking back, I wouldn't have changed it for the world, it was such an exciting finale and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Staying up in such a fashion has to go down as one of the highlights of my career. It was a fantastic day but I'm still aware that if we had gone down then I would have been devastated.
'Last season was a learning curve for us, newly-promoted and playing in the division for the first time, but there wasn't much to choose between ourselves and the teams that finished higher than us. We were only 20 points off sixth place, defeated the league champions and recorded a double over the division's third-place side.'
After crucially retaining their Division One status, Ellesmere Port are hoping to use the experience gained last season to their advantage this time out.
Ashton said: 'We didn't really know what we were up against last season and we were just looking to consolidate our position. We're hoping to add a couple of new faces to our squad but, if anything, I en-visage that the division will be even tougher as the teams who have come both up and down into the league are all decent sides.'
