MARK Robinson, the most successful captain in the long history of Oswestry Cricket Club, is to stand down after seven seasons in charge. Robinson, 31, told a club players’ meeting that he would not be standing for re-election at the annual meeting next month. “I think seven years is long enough to captain a side at the level at which we play,” said Robinson, who first joined the Morda Road club as a six-year-old in 1991. He took over the first-team captaincy in 2009, when the club has just been relegated back to the Shropshire League from the Birmingham League. He led Oswestry to the Shropshire League championship in his first season and after two years’ consolidation in Division Three of the Birmingham League, they won that division and the second division in consecutive seasons in 2012 and 2013. “It was a great honour to be asked to captain Oswestry, and the success we’ve had was all the more enjoyable for the fact that practically all the team had come up through our own junior ranks. “Players like myself, Alex Huxley and his brother Sam have been playing together for 25 years, and to win league titles for your home town club is a special feeling. “Last year we also won the Salop Leisure T20 competition, beating Shrewsbury in the final, and that would have to go down as one of the most enjoyable victories in the last few years. “On the down side, it was bitterly disappointing to be relegated from Division One last season.  “I thought, with the team we had assembled, we might even be pushing for promotion – but it wasn’t to be.” Robinson, who has made many appearances for the Shropshire Minor Counties side, will continue to play for Oswestry, and was nominated by the players’ meeting as the vice-captain for 2016. The man set to succeed him is Jonathan Miles, who is hoping to be back to full fitness next season after a couple of years struggling with a knee injury. Miles, who has been bowling spin, intends to be back in his more familiar opening bowler role in 2016. The new positions for Miles and Robinson have to be ratified by the annual meeting, but that is likely to be a formality.