The 2015 NYSD season gets under way in earnest on Saturday with the race for the Premier Division title likely to be one of the most closely contested in living memory.
With champions Darlington and runners-up Richmondshire having lost key players over the winter their three year dominance of the top two positions could be set to end with several of their challengers appearing to have recruited well.
And it will be no less intense near the foot of the table with the two-year restructure of the league meaning it will initially be much harder to return to the top flight for the relegated duo. Here’s a run through of the major changes at each Premier Division club:
BARNARD CASTLE
Captain: James Finch.
Professionals: Aamer Sajjad (Pakistan) and Finch.
In: Josh Mason (Australian amateur), Josh Bousfield (Stockton), James Alderson (Bishop Auckland).
Out: Ben Turner (Working in Brisbane), Dan Wilkinson (Brandon).
Prospects: A great season last year with two major cup wins.
Turner will be a miss, he topped the league’s amateur batting averages last year, but with Bousfield returning to his home club and still on Durham’s books, and world batting record holder Sajjad back for a third term, watch out for Barney.
DARLINGTON
Captain: Matthew Brown
Professionals: Liam Coates and Doug Mulholland.
In: Paul Freary (Blaydon).
Out: Jonny Barnes (Mainsforth), Peter Armstrong (Norton), Dan Hodgson (Farsley), Rajin Saleh (Bangladesh).
Prospects: The Quakers were worthy champions but the loss of Barnes in particular is a blow.
Leading bowler by a mile last year, he’ll be a major miss as will ex-skipper Armstrong and Yorkshire’s Hodgson who now lives in Leeds.
Freary is an accomplished bat but there may be too big a hole in their resources for Darlo to mount a determined defence of their title.
GREAT AYTON
Captain: David Grainge.
Professionals: Chris Batchelor and Whalid Ghauri.
In: Barry Bester (Australian amateur), Whalid Ghauri (Middlesbrough).
Out: Nick Hendrie (South Africa).
Prospects: The short format kings, current North of England T20 champions and triple Macmillan Cup winners, have only lost Hendrie, but he was a big influence.
Ghauri has the ability to score loads of runs, while Bester could be a force with the ball as the Aytonians go in search of consistency in the league.
GUISBOROUGH
Captain: Chris Allinson.
Professionals: Karl Turner (ex-Notts, Hampshire and Durham) and Chris Nicholls.
In: Turner (South Northumberland), Nicholls (Marske) Dan Conway (Saltburn), Connor Whitelock (Sedgefield).
Out: Roshen Silva (Sri Lanka).
Prospects: Major changes with four new faces on board. Turner has an excellent pedigree – he set an NEPL scoring record last season for the Bulls – while Nicholls and Conway are well known.
Young Whitelock has Durham prospects and will add balance to the attack.
Should be capable of improving on last year’s sixth place finish.
HARTLEPOOL
Captain: Mike Yuill.
Professionals: Shani Dissanayake (Sri Lanka) and Jon Rickard.
In: Dissanayake (Richmondshire), Lewis Stabler (Richmondshire), John Watson (Saltburn).
Out: Marc Symington (Norton), Craig Symington (Norton).
Prospects: All left arm pace attack could trouble a few opponents, and Dissanayake’s qualities are well known after 12 years of inspiring Richmond.
Other signings could also be in the offing.
That said, the Symington brothers will be hard to replace as the club aim for a top five finish.
Middlesbrough's Brett Roberts has joined Marske
MARSKE
Captain: Jonathan Pickard.
Professionals: Saeed Bin Nasir (Pakistan) and Lee Hodgson (Marton).
In: Bin Nasir, Hodgson, Ullrich Boshoff (New Zealand amateur), Brett Roberts (Middlesbrough).
Out: Chris Nicholls (Guisborough), Nadeera Nawela (Sri Lanka).
Propsects: A bit too close to the relegation zone for comfort last time out.
They look to have made some good signings, Bin Nasir has almost 10,000 first-class runs…and watch out for 18-year-old Kiwi Boshoff who played for Auckland’s Under-19s national championship winning side just a few months ago.
With Hodgson on board they look to have plenty of batting power, but without Nicholls’ bowling skills their attack could be under pressure.
MARTON
Captain: Chris Simpson.
Professionals: Hasantha Fernando (Sri Lanka) and Alex Roberts (Back from Australia).
In: Fernando, Roberts, Jack Hardy (Darlington), Jack Ward (Blackhall).
Out: Lee Hodgson (Marske), Neil Russell (Redcar), Chris Veazey (Redcar), Sam Jones (Australia).
Prospects: All change after a lacklustre 2014.
All-rounder Fernando has played two Test matches and has a good first-class record, while Roberts is well known in NYSD circles, returning to the country after four-and-a-half years in Australia.
Good acquisitions, important losses – judgement reserved.
Middlesbrough skipper James Lowe
MIDDLESBROUGH
Captain: James Lowe.
Professionals: Lowe and Stephen Reeves (South Africa).
In: David Embleton (Australian amateur), Omar Shahid (South Hetton), Reeves.
Out: Brett Roberts (Marske), Whalid Ghauri (Great Ayton), Reece Wood (Blackhall).
Prospects: The club are looking for a top six finish with a cup win tagged on.
Embleton has form in England having played for Crook for two seasons, but 19-year-old Reeves is an unknown quantity. The same can’t be said of Shahid who has had plenty of clubs in recent years before returning to the Boro.
NORMANBY HALL
Captain: Leigh Beaumont.
Professionals: Sachithra Serasinghe (Sri Lanka) and James Clarkson (Richmondshire).
In: Serasinghe, Clarkson and Adam Beaumont (Thornaby).
Out: Lee Hutton (Mainsforth).
Prospects: Back in the top flight, with clearly stated aim of consolidating.
Serasinghe has played for Sri Lanka A and with almost 5,000 runs and 168 wickets at first-class level, the 28-year-old, who has experience of English conditions, could be a match winner.
NORTON
Captain: Matthew Thomas.
Professionals: None.
In: Marc Symington, Craig Symington (both Hartlepool), Peter Armstrong (Darlington), Andy Parr (Stockton).
Out: Chris Fawcett (retired), Kenny Gresham (work).
Prospects: It’s back to the future at Norton.
The newly-promoted club have brought in a batch of highly experienced old boys, with the Symington brothers and ex-Quakers championship winning skipper Armstrong providing plenty of nous and no little skill.
REDCAR
Captain: Dale Metcalfe.
Professionals: Usman Arshad (Pakistan), Muhammed Zahid.
In: Arshad, Chris Veazey (Marton), Neil Russell (Marton).
Out: Muhammad Saad (Pakistan).
Prospects: Added bags of experience in Veazey and Russell, and it is hoped that Arshad will score the runs to ensure Saad isn’t missed.
Only won three league games last year and will be looking for an improved return.
RICHMONDSHIRE
Captain: Gary Pratt.
Professionals: Pratt and Toby Bulcock (Cumberland).
In: Bulcock.
Out: Shani Dissanayke, Lewis Stabler (both Hartlepool), James Clarkson (Normanby Hall).
Prospects: The Dalesmen have been the top performers for the last three years with two titles and a runner-up slot, but they have lost three big players.
The 24-year-old Bulcock, one of Pratt’s Minor Counties teammates and a Lancashire age group player, will provide left arm spin quality, but whether on his own he can bridge the gap left by the departures is open to question.
Stokesley's Andrew Weighell plays a shot
STOKESLEY
Captain: Andrew Weighell.
Professionals: Shrikant Wagh (India) and James Weighell.
In: Wagh, Jack Craig (Australian amateur).
Out: Dieter Klein (Kendal),Will Brown (work).
Prospects: In the championship race until the final few weeks last year, and hoping for more of the same.
Left arm paceman Wagh comes highly recommended by Northallerton legend Teddy Parida, and James Weighell has proved his fitness in a successful spell in Australia.
SEATON CAREW
Captain: Martin Skirving.
Professionals: Sanjaya Rodrigo (Sri Lanka) and Danny Evans.
In: Chandi Rodrigo (Sri Lanka overseas amateur).
Out: None.
Prospects: Hoping to build on a steady debut year in the top flight.
The Rodrigo brothers could work well together, with Chandi enjoying a decent season of club cricket in Surrey last year, while Seaton’s excellent junior structure is producing plenty of good home grown talent.
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