AS the curtain finally goes up on a new Drakes Huddersfield Cricket League season tomorrow, Examiner cricket writer DAVID LOCKWOOD completes his build-up with a check on the Drakes Premiership

IF ANYONE is capable of prising the League title out of Honley’s grasp this season, then SHEPLEY would seem to have the strength in depth to land the crown for the first time since 1984, in the old Section A days.

Danny Glover’s side pushed the champions all the way to the line last year, and never dropped below second spot after the first half-dozen games, and with a tremendous tally of 119 points would have won the title for all but the last two years.

And without a doubt they have strengthened again for this season and look a serious threat on every front.

SP Singh and Tim Rees both topped 1,000 runs last season, Tom Denton wasn’t far behind despite missing eight matches and Liam Wiles was close to 700, so runs are hardly likely to be a problem.

But on top of that they have significantly strengthened the bowling attack with the welcome return of Craig Glover, brother of the captain, who took 52 wickets last year despite missing a chunk of the season through injury, and the capture of county second teamer Amar Rashid.

A brother of Yorkshire star Adil Rashid, Amar is a spinner who is also a handy batsman, as is ex-Barkisland middle order man Ben Wells who joins the Marsh Lane side this summer in the hope of landing some silverware.

HOYLANDSWAINE have pushed the boat out when it comes to new signings, and skipper Alex Morris will be optimistic of his side’s chances of making an impression and improving on last year’s sixth place finish.

Former county batsman John Sadler, ex-Yorkshire second teamer Chris Schofield, recent Lancashire player Gary Montgomery, South African spinner Calvin Flowers, Australian Under 19 Michael Cranmer and Sri Lankan all-rounder Don Bandula Ranjit should bring enough firepower to the Barnsley outfit to ensure they test even the best this summer.

Morris himself was the top-ranked batsman at the Swaine last season with 885, but in Sadler he has a great ally who would be expected to at least equal that (and more). And with a strong-looking bowling line-up, the Haigh Lane faithful will be looking for big things this season.

HONLEY have the same side as the one which scorched to the Championship last summer with a record-breaking points total of 125, and they will not be relinquishing the Shield they have lifted a remarkable five times in the last six years, without a fight.

Simon Kelly and Max Joice both topped 1,000 runs last year and will be aiming to back it up with another bumper haul, although the latter, who also lifted the League’s batting prize, is a doubt this week after suffering a football injury while playing for AFC Emley.

As well as the League-winning batsman, Honley can also boast Tom Craddock who was the Premiership’s prize-winning bowler with 79 wickets (the most in the entire League) from his tricky leg spin, and with the usual seam attack of Harlon Haye and Ritchie Howarth, backed up by Jonny Butterfield and Martin Green, it would be very surprising if they were once more not involved in the shake-up for silver this season.

ELLAND finished fifth last year, reached the semi-finals of the Sykes Cup and won the Romida 20/20, and this year have had a massive clear-out.

Ryan Robinson has returned to Kirkburton, taking Greg Buckley with him, while Lee Baxter has moved to Golcar and Jimmy Thornton has (allegedly) retired, and they will all take some replacing – especially the latter.

However, there is a ‘new broom’ at Hullen Edge in the shape of skipper Craig Fletcher, and the sweeping changes include the recruitment of Paul Winrow (back from Milnrow), Yorkshire Seconds player Greg Wood, from East Bierley, along with his brother Danny, who has returned from a six-year spell in Australia.

Chris Goulden is back with the club after three years at Illingworth, while two more new faces are that of all-rounder Nick Sharpe from Clayton West and the recently-signed overseas player Ranchal Chaudhary, a leg-spinner from Delhi, who is at University in Lancashire and lives in Preston.

KIRKBURTON have said farewell to Louis Aspeling, but will be delighted to retain Matthew Wood as captain and Charlie Roebuck, who should be available most of the time despite having a short contract with Durham.

Greg Buckley may find the ground a bit small for his leg spin, but equally will relish the size of Riley Lane when he gets a bat in his hands, and the returning Robinson will also feel like he has gone home and will know the batting track like the back of his hand.

One surprising face at Burton will be that of former Lascelles Hall legend Shaun Woodhams, who is looking at a final tilt at the ‘big time’ and will be taking his wicketkeeping gloves along.

Elsewhere, the Smiths, Andy, George and Ashley, along with Josh Ingham (who has swapped directions with Aspeling) with be aiming to maintain their first-team progress.

Title winners in 2009, SCHOLES finished fourth last term as well as soaring to a magnificent Black Sheep Yorkshire Champions’ Trophy triumph, and should also be up there with the front-runners again, especially as they look to have improved their overseas product.

Jarrod Lee from Hawkesbury in Sydney is a quick bowler and middle-order bat, and with the return of opening batsman Matthew Smith, plus Ashley Pamment from Golcar, skipper James Noble will not be frightened of anyone this season.

Iqbal Khan, Ibrar Latif and Mohammed Shahnawaz are a tried and trusted trio who are capable of putting the skids under any team (just ask York and Scarborough!) and along with strike bowler Andy Alsop will keep the Chapelgaters in the hunt for honours.

GOLCAR’s main signing this year is undoubtedly Baxter, who is back in the Colne Valley after several successful years with Elland.

Last year Baxter hit 923 runs averaging over 50, and if skipper Steve Whitwam finds his feet again with the bat (he made only 864 last season) then the Swallow Laners will have 2,000 in the bank before anyone else strikes a ball, but they may be a tad short on the bowling side having lost Adam France, back to neighbours Broad Oak.

This season’s overseas player is another in a long line of Australians in the shape of Jack McNamara, a left-arm spinner from Camberwell Magpies in Melbourne, who is also a middle order batsman.

Mick Illingworth is back in the fold after taking most of last year out, while Mick Smith is also eager to get back into the reckoning, with Craig Horner batting lower down the order, and a lot of hope being pinned on the progress of 16-year-old pace prospect Jack Hendy.

It will be interesting to see how newly-promoted SHELLEY fare, especially as Scott Dyson’s side has very much a new look to it.

Scott Marsh has left as has Liam Brothers, while Sam Scott may be more involved with rugby league than cricket, however there have been plenty of recruitments made at Westerley Lane as they aim to at least consolidate their top-flight status.

Khalid Bilal, a medium pacer and hard-hitting batsman has joined from Mirfield Parish Cavaliers, along with Sarfraz Ahmed from Skelmanthorpe, Australian Mark Arnott and a pair of Kiwis from the Mount Maunganui Club in the North Island, all of whom have British passports.

Peter Drysdale is an opening batsman, while Daniel Hill is a quick bowler, but also his club’s best all-rounder who has played for the Bay of Plenty representative side.

Nearer to home Greg Wadsworth has moved to Shelley after spending some time in New Zealand and Ashley Donkersley has gone there from Armitage Bridge to keep wicket.

DELPH & DOBCROSS are always dangerous, and cannot be discounted despite losing opening bowler Matt Norval, who helped them to third place and the Sykes Cup final last season.

Bilal Khiljee is a tried and tested overseas player, and has returned for a third season, and will join the familiar faces of skipper Grant Jones, Bruce Cruse, Irfan Zahoor, etc.

“We’re always looking for new faces,” said Jones, and one new face in the first team this year is likely to be Steve Broadbent, who won the Championship Second Eleven bowling averages last year.

However, they have lost prize-winning Seconds batsman Tom Wood, and Kyle Hogg’s appearances may be very limited this season because of demand by Lancashire.

Cup holders SKELMANTHORPE have lost 2,000 runs with the departure of Wasim Jaffer, while they have said farewell to opener Sarfraz Ahmed, Qaiser Rashid and leading bowler Craig Glover, but Lidgett Lane officials have been busy recruiting Haroon Rashid (no relation to Qaiser) from Hanging Heaton, Paul Davis from Australia, and English-qualified South African duo Louis Aspeling and Peter Lombard.

Rashid is the brother of Yorkshire star Adil, while Aspeling and Lombard need no introduction to Drakes League followers. Whether they can fill the rather big shoes left by the departing quartet remains to be seen.

Former captain Harvey Anderson returns to pick up the reins again at BROAD OAK as they look to improve on last season’s third-from-bottom finish.

Newcomers include Indian leg-spinner Yogesh Golwalker, who is at Bradford University, Chris Gill from Greenfield in the Saddleworth League and Adam France, who is back after two seasons at Golcar, plus quick bowler Azeem Shah.

Yorkshire Academy player Jack Hargreaves is also going to be available, but the big question hangs over Gurman Randhawa and where Yorkshire want the multi-talented prospect to play his League cricket.

BARKISLAND have lost Ben Wells and Adam Robinson, but have gained highly-rated South African fast bowler Kimeshin Chetty, who has trialled with Leicestershire and Gloucestershire, and top-ranked Halifax League batsman Alex Kaye.

Another incomer is former Micklehurst and Holmfirth batsman Andrew Gleave who has played with the Academies at Glamorgan and Gloucester, along with Delph’s Tom Wood and a new wicketkeeper/batsman Bradley Birkhead, which skipper Simon Wheelwright will be hoping keeps his side out of the relegation zone this year after finishing next-to-bottom last year, but were saved the threat of going down when Kexborough dropped out.

SLAITHWAITE have appointed fit-again Ronan Bruce as skipper, and he will welcome Aussie Chris Connors, an all-rounder from Charlestown, New South Wales, but otherwise will be looking to younger players such as Joah Bradley (Second XI prize-winning bowler), Freddie Garside and Greg Alexander.

However, they will be without Bjorn Taylor for the first few games until he finishes his soccer commitments with Goole Town.

MARSDEN surprised many people last year finishing 11th in the table, but will probably have to punch above their weight again this summer if they are to finish outside the bottom two or three.

However, as they showed last season, they have a tremendous team spirit, and will be backed by the signing of Indian opening batsman Honey Garg – who smashed an unbeaten 170 last year while at Stalybridge – who also bowls off-spin.

The other newcomers are ex-Meltham man Matt Coulson, who is also an opening bowler, and former Rastrick bowler Isfan Ahmed.