Paul Hindmarch is the new captain of Keswick Cricket Club 1st XI, an appointment that was made at the club’s annual general meeting.
Born and bred in deepest Borrowdale, Paul has played senior cricket for his hometown club, Keswick, for the last couple of seasons and is thrilled and proud to be taking on the captaincy of the 1st XI for the 2025 season, writes Keith Richardson.
Amazingly it will be the first time that he has ever captained a cricket team despite a mass of experience in the game playing at Durham CCC and taking on the role of professional at several clubs.
He is also combining his role as captain of Keswick CC with that of head coach for Cumbria’s National Counties team.
He will take on the captaincy of his club at a time when the team is beginning to knock on the door of a first ever Cumbria Cricket League premier division title.
“The goal for 2025 is simple,” he told me. “We will strive to win the league and every cup competition that we enter. There has been a lot of talk in recent years but not enough action to back that up on the field. That must change. If we really want it, we’ve got to be prepared to put the work in, week in and week out. There has also to be greater consistency in player availability. I am confident if we do all that we won’t be far away.”
Paul will have a new Sri Lankan professional, left-handed all-rounder Raveen Yasaf in his side and he will also have the benefit of a fully-fit Scott McGown returning from Australia where he has been playing club cricket this winter.
However, the new captain may have to go into the new season (starting in late April) without the club’s star all-rounder Glen Weightman who needs surgery after suffering a leg injury playing rugby union for Keswick. Weightman, who won major Cumbria Cricket League awards last year because of his explosive batting, may miss as much as the first two months of the season.
Several players in the current 1st XI squad, Glen Weightman, Dan Gaskell, Paul himself and his brother Steve, to name a few, have enjoyed the journey through the Keswick CC ranks from the time when they were all in the same very successful junior team.
“If you look across the senior sides at Keswick most players have come through the junior section and that is a great compliment to the club,” Paul observes. “There is a strong connection between the players. It’s a great place to be.
“At the same time bringing young players through and managing their transition into the 1st XI is crucial. And it is also a balancing act because we need to ensure they are given every opportunity to bat or bowl.”
And how does he envisage, as new head coach, the development of
Cumbria’s National Counties team?
“It’s great to be back involved in the county set up,” he replied. “The team has performed well in white ball cricket in recent seasons, getting to four successive national finals. My ambition is to get us over the line in the white ball format and promoted to division one in the three-day format. We’ve a very strong squad with healthy competition for places.
“I’m looking forward to the two T/20 games against Northumberland in Fitz Park (Keswick) on June 8.”
Is it going to be difficult to manage both roles with club and county?
“It’s definitely going to be a busy summer,” he says. “But playing at Fitz Park is fantastic. It’s a great place to be and bring the family along. I can’t wait to get going.”
The club’s annual meeting heard from chairman Andrew Bryson that architectural plans to create a new £1m pavilion on the same site in Fitz Park – following a similar footprint with the notable exception that the new building will be raised above the flood plain – had been backed by the town council and had now been submitted to the ECB (England Cricket Board) to ensure they met their criteria.
After that the club would be appointing a team to see the project through to completion, hopefully in three years.
