FEELING refreshed after a winter off, Martyn Cull is looking forward to Copdock & Old Ipswichian’s inaugural season in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League.

Cull has made the switch to Copdock from Clacton, where he has played in the Premier League for the past eight years.

The 29-year-old batsman, who started his career with Felixstowe in the Two Counties Championship, lives and works in the Ipswich area.

However, he admitted it was a wrench to leave Clacton and join the first east Suffolk side, who open their season at Bury St Edmunds on Saturday, to play in the Premier League following its formation.

He said: “If Copdock had been in the Premier League eight years ago I would have joined them then.

“It was a hard decision to leave Clacton because I have got a lot of friends there and they are a good bunch of lads.

“But I have lots of friends at Copdock – I have played with Chris Swallow at Clacton and of course with Suffolk, Archie Gravell has played for Suffolk and also there is James and John East who I have played against in the past.

“I have watched quite a few of their games last year, and they are a good side who play hard and train fairly hard and look to win.

“They have a lot of youngsters and hopefully I can help them out as well.”

Cull, who has also trained with Copdock on occasions during the last couple of years – their training nights fell on a different day to those at Clacton – is looking forward to his new challenge.

“I would like to think I have got my best years ahead of me. I stayed in England during the winter, which has meant I have trained more than in previous years, which I think will benefit me during the season.”

Cull started working as a groundsman last September at Ipswich School, where he is hoping to do some coaching during the summer term.

He had spent the previous six winters playing club cricket in Australia, playing for two different Melbourne-based sides at a similar level to Two Counties.

Now an established member of Suffolk’s side, Cull is also looking forward to the forthcoming Minor Counties campaign.

“It should be a good year for us. We have trained well in pre-season and everyone is looking forward to it,” he said.