By James Hepworth

Leatherhead Cricket Club captain Matthew Joblin admitted the team will be making history this weekend when they play their first game in Division One of the Surrey Championship.

After 168 years of trying, Leatherhead will take to the Fetcham Grove field on Saturday as a Division One side when they face Normandy.

And Joblin, who led the side to the Division Two title last term, is excited at having the honour of being the man to lead the team out.

He said: “This has to be the highlight of my career so far – it’s not every day that you have the honour of captaining your side in its first ever season in Division One.

“Most of the team have never had any experience at this level but if you looked at our performances last season we were unstoppable and played some brilliant cricket. I have a strong belief that we will be just as successful in this league as in Division Two.

“The whole team has very strong ability levels and we have very high levels of quality running through the side.”

The 27-year-old, who is looking forward to playing his fifth season of cricket at the club, is also delighted about Leatherhead’s largely successful preparations for the 2013 season.

He said: “From early January we have been following strict indoor training regimes and we have been looking forward to getting outdoor net practice.”

Despite a lot of preparation going into ensuring that Leatherhead’s first season in Division One is successful, Joblin is not looking at any specific season aims.

“I would like us to secure our place within this league but it’s equally as important for us to enjoy our cricket and to recognise why we are here in the first place,” he said.

“We are going to take each game as it comes and enjoy what this league has to offer, but our level of engagement and commitment should set us right.”