Peter Bowler who enjoyed one of the best season's of his long career in 2001 told me earlier this week," I can't ever remember being so excited about a new cricket season."

He continued, "It's great to see the club back towards where they were in the 1980's, and to have the community behind us."

Last season Peter Bowler helped the club to the best ever season in their history when they ended as runner's up in the County Championship and won the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

In the championship he scored almost 800 runs at an average of just over 42 runs, as well as scoring 560 runs in the Norwich Union League.

"At last it's all coming together after six or seven years. People forget all of the preparation that has been done. We've done all of the hard work to get the young side that we have now - we're not quite there yet - but can look forward to being one of the top four sides in the country."

How about his own performances I asked. "I'm still improving as a batsman, I'm getting smarter. Physically I'm deteriorating, but just how fast depends on working hard at my fitness.I hope that I can hold back the years by keeping fit and at the moment I feel very fit. I know that I can bat, but it's all the other bits, running and the athleticism. I'm working very hard at it,"he told me.

At the age of thirty eight, how much longer did he see himself continuing in first class cricket. "I don't even think about stopping playing at the moment. I'm lucky that I have prepared for the next stage of my life, and I'm free to enjoy what I like doing, and that's playing cricket, batting," he said, and continued, "While I feel there's a job to do I'm keen to do it. The game will tell me when it's finished with me."

What about next season I asked him. "We have our best chance in the one day competitions, especially in the Sunday League. To win the knock out cups you need a bit of luck," he told me.

What about the County Championship in 2002. "To win the championship we have to keep everybody fit and a couple of the young bowlers have to come to the fore. Yes we can win it, but need it all to go our way through the season."

He concluded, "I've never won a championship medal. At Derbyshire we ended third and last season we were second. It would be as good a reason as any to go on playing if we don't win it this year!"

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