Hopes high as teams prepare for new cricket season

Several teams feel they have their strongest squad for some time, although the usual problems surrounding professionals’ early-season availability could well dictate who gets out of the starting blocks the quickest.

Guisborough are looking for a return to their not-too-distant glory days when they dominated the championship, and they have secured the services of a tall left arm spinner with almost 600 first class wickets under his belt at an impressive average of just 20 apiece.

Sri Lankan A team player Sajeema Weerakoon will add further potency to an already useful attack, although he will miss the opening weeks of the season as he competes in a provincial tournament in his home country. Chris Murray will travel up from London each weekend to deputise until the overseas man arrives.

The Priorymen could not have a tougher start as they travel to triple crown holders Marton tomorrow. The current champions will find it almost by Chris West impossible to repeat their 2009 efforts, such was the scale of their achievement, and the “retirement”

into second team cricket of legendary skipper Graham Shaw, coupled with the unavailability of the league’s top bowler, Mohammed Zahid, means the challenge facing them is that much harder.

Former Durham star John Glendenen takes over the skipper’s armband, and he will have Sri Lankan left arm spinner Upul Indrasiri at his disposal, along with Yorkshire’s Lee Hodgson.

The Marton ranks have been further boosted by the arrival of all-rounder Matty Brown from Richmond, and opening bowler Mattie Connolly from Middlesbrough.

Stokesley head for their historic first match in the premier division at Richmond with high hopes of being able to compete with the best. Yet another Sri Lankan, Chamila Gamage, will spearhead their attack, and with two Test appearances and seven one-day internationals for his country, the fast medium merchant could prove a handful.

The league’s leading amateur wicket-taker in 2009, James Beaumont, has been brought in from Middlesbrough as the second professional and gives the newcomers’ attack a menacing look.

For Richmond, it’s a case of sticking with what you know best – the ever-reliable Shani Dissanayake is back again, although there is a slight doubt about his arrival for the first game, while former Leicestershire second team player Ziafat Ashraf has also been retained, along with his iPod. Despite the loss of Brown to Marton, the return of the fit again Chris Layfield from long-term injury is like having a new player in the ranks.

Northallerton have also opted for stability – Rashmi (Teddy) Parida, one of the best pro bats to have graced the league, is back to terrorise opposition attacks, while Jon Barnes is girding his loins for yet another 400 to 500 overs of miserly misery for batters around the region.

One to watch could well be highly rated new signing, batsman/ wicketkeeper Adie Monk, who has joined from Sharow.

But Town face a fiery baptism as they travel to Acklam Park to take on perennial title favourites Middlesbrough. Boro look more powerful than ever, and with a settled professionals’ line-up after the trials and tribulations of last year, they will take some stopping. Pakistani A team player, leg spinner Yasir Shah, will miss the opener owing to national commitments, but he will eventually team up with the returning Alex Roberts, who needs no introduction to NYSD followers.

Darlington will be led by the irrepressible Doug Mulholland, and he has been joined by Tariq Aziz. The opening bat has been a regular 1,000 runs a season man for many years and will no doubt enjoy the batsmanfriendly expanses of Feethams.

The Quakers travel to Bishop Auckland to open their campaign against a settled home team. The Kingsway outfit have Gary Pratt, one of only five 1,000-run men in 2009, at the helm again, while Dan Conway continues as player-coach.

Elsewhere, Great Ayton will have to wait until mid-May for much-hyped all-rounder Andrew Birch to arrive as he is appearing for the South African national academy team. He has big boots to fill as he replaces Riaz Afridi, who took nearly 400 wickets in his time at Leven Park. Durham opening bowler Mitch Claydon will sub for Birch until his arrival.

Hartlepool are another club facing last-minute disruption as their star Sri Lankan Janaka Gunaratne, who impressed so much last season, is playing for his country – a replacement is being sought. But Thornaby expect their Sri Lankan opening bat Ian Daniel to be in the country before too long and will team him up with the returning Fazel Hussain.

Billingham are the only club to register just a single professional, but just how many times they will see Durham’s impressive Mark Davies is open to debate, given his successes with the county in recent years.

One man whose county career is over for the time being is Simon Guy, who has been released by Yorkshire. But he looks primed to notch up a few runs for Marske, having joined the Windy Hill set-up from Darlington in the close season.

All Saturday league matches start at 1pm until the end of the month, reverting to 1.30pm at the beginning of May.