It is just two weeks until Hucknall Cricket Club's First XI get their 2022 Nottinghamshire Premier League campaign underway.

Club captain Sam Johnson describes himself as 'bullish', 'confident' and 'upbeat' about the team's prospects on the eve of the season.

Speaking exclusively to Hucknall Nub News, he said: "If we have the right level of commitment and availability and all those kind of things that contribute to good sides being really good, I see no reason why we can't finish in the top half. That's the aim I've set out to the players, that's the aim I hold myself."

Last year was overshadowed by a tragedy which rocked the club. In May, former player Josh Downie who spent five seasons at Hucknall suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 24, whilst at a cricket nets session in Birkenhead where he'd recently moved.

Sam said: "It's coming up to nearly a year. I'm still heartbroken, I'm still in disbelief. I get reminders every so often on my phone of old pictures and stuff of us together, I just can't believe what's happened. I don't want to be too cliché but there are certain moments in your life that stay with you forever and I think that day at his funeral will stay with me forever. It was a shock as much as anything.

"He had a profound impact on everyone who was lucky enough to know him. Great lad, unbelievably talented cricketer and a really really good friend. The club is still now I think reeling and coming to terms with it.

"People sometimes after tragic events wear a black armband for a game, I actually wore mine the whole season because I didn't think it was right (to play without it) because I still miss him, and I'm still gutted. I was still in that state where I felt like we needed to honour him as best we could."

In memory and honour of Josh, the club's chosen charity this year is The British Heart Foundation.

"It fills me with immense pride that the club have agreed with me and the rest of the committee to go down that route and we'll be holding charitable events and doing everything we can to raise money for a fantastic organisation. I know it won't bring Josh back but every pound could save lives moving forward. We obviously miss Josh immensely."

On the pitch last season, the club recovered from a slow start which saw them win just one of their first nine fixtures, to finish ninth out of 12 teams and avoid relegation relatively easily in the end having spent much of the early weeks of the season sitting in the bottom two.

Mr Johnson singled out a home victory over Cuckney, a team he holds in high regard, at the end of June, as the turning point. He feels his team approached it as a game in which they had nothing to lose and with the pressure firmly off they pulled off a big upset to win by 60 runs.

"I think that Cuckney game, just that little bit of belief that that gave us, and the notion of a free hit actually really helped. It was so satisfying. That was a real turning point."

This victory saw them win their next three home league matches, as well as defeating eventual champions Kimberley away.

"We finished the season comfortably in the league but maybe looking at it as what might have been if we'd been a bit better in the season. We looked at it and thought that actually we showed that we are a decent side.

"I think the aim and the plan for this year is to build on that and to really establish ourselves as hopefully one of the better sides in the league and not be looking over our shoulder at what's behind us but always be looking up at who we can catch.

"As a batting unit I wasn't happy with us I didn't think we were good enough. I take as much responsibility as anyone for that because you bat in partnerships. We've strengthened the bowling attack as well. If we get the right level of commitment and stay injury free, I see no reason why we can't have a really good year and surprise a few people which is almost more satisfying than being expected to do something."

Hucknall begin their campaign with back to back home games against two of the top three sides from last season. They welcome Kimberley to the New Gatehouse Ground on Hayden Lane on the opening day (23 April) before hosting Radcliffe-on-Trent a week later (30 April).

In the meantime, they have a host of friendlies planned over the next two weekends to prepare for the start of the season, details of which can be found here.

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