OULTON Park opener Danny Leech will lead Cheshire for the first time when they start their latest Unicorns Championship campaign at Shropshire on Sunday.

And those selected for a Western Division encounter at Shifnal have largely been rewarded for their form in the early stages of the season.

A core of players have taken the county team to the top of their group in the Unicorns T20 – from which they are still in with a chance of progressing – and the semi-finals of the Unicorns Trophy.

Leech, now 37, was appointed captain of Cheshire’s three-day side over the winter after Lee Dixon stood down.

And the former Winnington Park batsman has a solid foundation to build on after they finished as runners-up to Berkshire last time around.

He also knows what it takes to win the title after going all the way with Cheshire back in 2007.

Meanwhile the form and promise of teenager Ben Gibbon, a teammate of Leech at Little Budworth, has earned for him a call-up as 12th man.

Play starts at 11am.

Cheshire | Danny Leech (captain, Oulton Park); Rick Moore (Chester Boughton Hall); Wayne White (Leek); Calum Rowe, Ed Fluck (both Alderley Edge); Will Evans (wicket-keeper, Neston); Simon Normanton (Stockport Georgians); Jack White, Furqan Shafiq (both Timperley); Chris Charles (Alvanley); Gareth Burns (Grappenhall) 12th man: Ben Gibbon (Oulton Park)