BIRTHDAY boy Chris Park insisted the rigours of juggling captaincy for both club and county was something he thrived on.

The experienced wicketkeeper-batsman will celebrate turning 35 on Sunday as Dorset begin their three-day Unicorns Championship clash with Cheshire at Nantwich (11am).

Less than 24 hours earlier, Park will be leading Bournemouth in their Southern League Division One battle at Liphook & Ripsley as Lions continue their push for promotion.

As well as travelling between the two venues, the county skipper will also have to ready himself to keep wicket for potentially more than 200 overs across the four days.

But Park does his best to keep both his body and mind in top order to perform.

He told the Daily Echo: “Looking after both teams is an honour. To captain Bournemouth is a huge honour and captaining Dorset is a huge privilege as well.

“It’s a juggling act but I do enjoy my time off with going to the gym and working from home as such. There must be some bad weather coming round the corner at some stage as well!

“It’s the hard yards of cricket. As an amateur, it is the closest we get to playing a five-day Test match or a four-day first-class game.

“It’s very tough but it’s something we enjoy and do for the love of the game.”

Despite reaching his mid-30s, Park revealed the physical aches and pains of donning the gloves for extended periods of time did not worry him.

Instead, he saw the challenge as more of a mental battle.

He added: “I am sure in a few years’ time my knees will tell me enough is enough!

“You have to look after your body, of course. Everybody knows about the fitness behind it with warm-ups, warm-downs and diet, which is so important. I suppose I have a little bit of game stamina.

“It’s more the mental side of things and the psychology of fatigue. It’s knowing when to switch on and concentrate and when to switch off.

“As a wicket-keeper, you have between balls to do that but, as a captain, that is when you have to be thinking as well.

“It’s nice to switch off and have good people around who you can have some humour and banter with. That makes the days fly by.”

Dorset are set to make two changes for their battle with Cheshire, who are yet to win in the Western Division this season.

Somerset academy opener Ben Wells has been called back by the Taunton outfit, meaning Sherborne School’s Harry Fisher comes into the side.

He made 66 from 42 deliveries during Dorset Leopards’ 27-run win over Devon under-19s at the Hamworthy Club on Sunday.

Mark Wolstenholme replaces James Hayman in the seam bowling department.