LOOKING back over the summer, Sevenoaks Vine chairman Omar Iqbal believes there is reason to be optimistic about the future.

Despite winning their last two games to secure their 100 per cent Kent Premier League status, Iqbal insists the only way is up for this team and the experience gained in winning those matches will hold them in good stead.

You see, the Vine are, essentially, a young side made up of home grown juniors led by new captain Alex Rayner.

New additions to the team fitted in superbly.

Ant Shales, under 21, kept brilliantly all season and scored 108 at Blackheath. Alex Williams, under 18, joined from Tunbridge Wells and showed great talent and an excellent attitude towards the club.

Then there's the hugely talented Luke Blackaby, another under 18, who was top run scorer with 437 runs.

"They have got another year of good Kent Premier League experience under their belts," Iqbal said. "We are a young side, made up of home grown players from in and around Sevenoaks. We are not like other clubs who pay for players to play. That is not what we do. But the future looks bright. We have ambitious plans for next year and feel we have a positive momentum that we can carry on.

"This winter we will be engaging with local schools to get kids not necessarily playing cricket to come and be involved at the Vine."

And on the relegation battle Iqbal added: "It was great to see how the lads responded to pressure in those last two games. We batted brilliantly, but need to play with that same intensity throughout the season."

Iqbal looked to the example set by neighbours Tunbridge Wells as one to follow.

In 2008 they only survived relegation on the last day, but this summer they were right in the championship hunt.

"That is something we aspire to," Iqbal said. "They flirted with relegation, but came out of it stronger. We really want to kick on next season and set ourselves the target of a top five finish."

It was truly a memorable summer at the Vine, not least because of one week back in July when the town came to a standstill for the 275th anniversary celebrations, cricket week and the visit of Lashings.

Iqbal says the fact all three Sevenoaks teams stayed in their respective divisions made it a successful campaign, but the performance of the firsts is what everyone looks to.

Some fans have called for an increased investment in the playing squad, but Iqbal says the club does not have a bottomless pit of money.

In fact, main sponsor Savills remains key to the Vine.

Their investment has helped the Vine become one of the best wickets in Kent and Iqbal is delighted that relationship is flourishing.

It has also been said the club needs to acquire a quality overseas player and Iqbal admits they have not always worked out well for the Vine.

This summer they had Josh Staines on board, but the Aussie struggled to have any real impact.

"Josh is a very good player, just look at his record. He has scored runs in Australia and over here. It was just one of those things that it didn't work out.

"He got injured, had a few bad decisions and already half the season was gone. That put an added pressure on him.

"This does not mean we won't be getting an overseas player next year. We are going to continue to look for someone, ideally a batting overseas player.

"We are already out there talking to people about who we can have, but we are not going to just get one for the sake of it."

You get the impression the Vine, if they can take all their experiences of the past few months on board and add one or two more old heads to the squad, can really kick on in the future. The talent is there - it is just a case of harnessing it into a consistent winning unit.