Wimbledon Cricket Club skipper Neil Turk is looking to beyond the new Surrey Championship season while not forgetting they have a title to defend.

After securing back-to-back Premier Division titles last term, Turk and his charges can write themselves into the championship annuls by winning a record breaking third consecutive crown.

Moreover, Wimbledon are also defending their position as T20 champions at county and regional level, alongside the small matter of defending their ECB National T20 crown.

But on Turk’s mind at the moment is bringing more youth through the ranks, starting with 19-year-old Will Leith.

The slow left-arm bowler took his first team bow at Church Road in 2009 as a 16-year-old, and starred in the ECB National T20 win over Northern last year taking 2-11 in his four overs.

Turk said: “We have kept most of our players together but it’s really important that we give youth more of a look in this season.

“Will has been bowling every week with us, but we want to push him higher up the batting order, make him more of an all rounder and a much more important part of the team.

“It’s vital the young players come through. At the moment we’re a squad with an average age of late 20s to early 30s, we’re in our prime.

“But that will come to an end and we need the players coming through to take our place.”

Wimbledon face Swardeston and Ealing in pre-season friendlies, before the 45-over National Club Championship takes Wimbledon to Uxbridge on April 28.

Turk said: “We’ve deliberately chosen friendly games against teams that will push us, and I hope they will be thinking the same when they come to us.

“We have been training well and the whole team is extremely motivated to start the campaign on the right foot.

“But we cannot afford to think about the end of the season and making history, if you start doing that then you miss out the little steps that get you there.”

Wimbledon have also brought in former Hampshire batsman Chris Benham, who hit 2,103 runs in 48 first class matches.

The 30-year-old’s forte lay in the one-day game, winning the Friends Provident Trophy in 2009 and hitting four centuries in 61 games, with a top score of 158 and average of 35.72.