A FIVE-WICKET haul and victory over one of your main rivals on their own patch.

Ed Waind could not really have asked for a better start to his reign as Lindal Moor captain.

Waind’s superb figures of five for 20 helped his side triumph at Millom on the opening day of the North Lancs and Cumbria League Division One season.

With Lindal and Millom expected to be right in the mix for promotion to the Premier Division, it laid down a marker for Moor’s ambitions this summer.

“I’m very pleased to win against a team who I feel will be one of our main rivals,” said Waind.

“They are a very strong side so we are happy to get the win, especially away from home.

“We have had some very competitive cricket matches against them over the last few years, so it’s good to get one up against them and get off to a good start.”

Waind was obviously delighted with the display of Lindal’s new professional Kenroy Peters, whose all-round performance proved the difference between the sides.

The West Indian entered the fray with Lindal in trouble at the crease, and blasted 110 out of a total of 172 all out at St George’s Road, Graham Dawson grabbing five for 30. Peters then took four for 38 and with Waind’s off-spin claiming five victims, Millom were dismissed for 140.

“He came in when we were in a bit of a hole at 40 for 3 and played a fantastic counter-attacking innings,” Waind said of Peters’ game-changing knock.

“He knew which bowlers to take on and when to take risks, and it paid off. He batted fantastically when we needed him because the rest of us weren’t quite at the races.

“It showed the benefit of him having played through the winter in the West Indies, when we are slightly cold coming into the season, and it showed the value of his experience as well.”

Peters and Waind then combined to plough their way through the Millom batting line-up, with only all-rounder Dawson having any joy against them with 64 before the left-hander was bowled by Waind.

“It’s not the best I’ve ever bowled, but I bowled enough good balls to get some key wickets so that was pleasing,” said Waind.

“I like bowling against left handers and I got three out on Saturday which was good. Kenroy is a very consistent bowler and he picked up some key wickets which, again, was very pleasing.

“Millom will get stronger because they were missing a professional, so we will be expecting a tougher return fixture when they come to Lindal.”

Lindal aim to make it two wins from two tomorrow when Vickerstown head to Pennington Lane – a special day for Peters, who enjoyed some great times as professional at Rainey Park a few years back.

“He’s champing at the bit,” said Waind of the popular 35-year-old from St Vincent, who has one West Indies Test cap to his name, taking two for 69 in a rain-affected draw against South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 2014.

“He is really looking forward to playing, as is Lee Hogg, who is also a former Vickerstown player.

“We haven’t played Vickerstown for a while so we don’t quite know what to expect but we do know they have got some capable cricketers and certainly their captain (Gareth Benson) is a very good bowler.

“We are looking forward to it. They had a good start last weekend getting a win (beating Workington A) so they will be up for it, and I’m sure we will be too.”

Paul Wilcock – who Waind replaced in the Lindal hot-seat – returns from a broken finger for tomorrow’s game, in which Lindal hope Peters continues to fill the void left by all-rounder Mark Daly, who has returned to his roots with Premier Division Furness.

“Mark is a fantastic batsman and proved to be a valuable bowler but we hope Kenroy can do the same sort of thing, and also add something at training,” said Waind.

“He is very enthusiastic, he’s very fit and he is going to bring something really dynamic to training. We are really looking forward to it. He has already settled in, he’s a really nice guy, and quite laid-back, so it’s all good.”

Lindal’s primary aim for the season remains winning the league and with it promotion to the top flight after the disappointment of narrowly missing out last year to Carlisle – who, coincidentally, knocked Lindal out of the County Cup at Edenside on Monday.

“It would be silly if I didn’t say win the league and promotion, but at the same time you have got to be pragmatic about it and take every game as it comes,” said Waind.

“We don’t want to look too far ahead. We have strengthened as a side but we also think our main rivals have strengthened – Haverigg and Millom – and Whitehaven have come down a strong side. It’s not going to be an easy season for us, but our number one aim is the league and promotion.”

Waind is not new to captaincy, having skippered at junior level and in the South Cumbria T20 competition last year, and there is plenty of experience in the Lindal dressing room to help him.

“It’s definitely a new challenge, and also a new challenge off the pitch,” he said. “I don’t know how that will affect my personal performance. I haven’t started too brightly with the bat. Batting at number three and captaining a side is a challenge and time will tell, but hopefully I’ll be fine, I’ve just got to settle into it.

“There will be lots of help behind the scenes and we are quite an experienced side, so that will help.”