Never mind a phoenix rising from the flames, Weybridge Vandals CC have emerged from the depths of last year’s floods to take their place in the Surrey Championship this summer.

The Brownacres-based club’s first team square was all but destroyed by water in February last year.

But captain Ali Booth’s men put the devastation behind them to claim the Fuller’s Surrey County League Premier Division title six months later.

The pitch has been re-laid this winter in time for Vandals, whose club crest features the mythical phoenix, to take part in their first campaign in the Championship since the competition’s formation in 1968.

Booth’s men will visit Old Pauline today before making the trip to Battersea Ironsides a week later and then hosting their first ever Division Five match against Alleyn CC on May 23 in a tough opening trio of matches.

They earned the right to step up a level last year on the back of 53 league wickets from the county league’s leading bowler Jonny Powell and 929 runs in all competitions from Aman Singh.

And club captain William Powell, who has revealed Vandals have secured some overseas talent for the forthcoming campaign, says they are not in the division to make up the numbers.

“It was a great season last year for us because we won the league and reached cup finals in limited over and 20-over competitions too,” he said.

“We’ve been in the cricketing wilderness for a while, but have been knocking on the door in recent years and deserve to be there.

“I would like to think we can push forward from here.

“A lot of the teams in the league are teams that were in the league we have just won not too long ago, so we are confident we can compete at that level.

“We have had to invest heavily in our pitch and hopefully that will stand us in good stead this season.”

Fixtures: Weybridge v Sutton, Old Whitgiftians v Malden Wanderers, Camberley v East Molesey, Ashford v Worcester Park, Dulwich v Chessington, Old Rutlishians v Walton-on-Thames, Epsom v Esher, Old Emanuel v Old Hamptonians, Cobham Avorians v Byfleet, Kingstonian v Farncombe.