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The 50-over league starts this weekend with eight teams vying for the crown. Much has happened since Southampton Rangers swept all before them, winning every domestic honour last year.

Rangers, still the strongest squad in Bermuda, look to have a tougher challenge on their hands this year with St David's, Social Club and Somerset all improving.

Then there's the Under-19 factor. Bermuda's most talented young players will compete in the first round of fixtures as they warm-up for the Sir Garfield Sobers tournament and the World Cup later this year.

Here we look at how the squads are shaping up for the new season.

Southampton Rangers

Coach: Janeiro Tucker

Captain: Kwame Tucker

Star Players: Dwayne Leverock, Olin Jones, Traddie Simpson

Arrivals: Randy Bean from Warwick

Departures: Lionel Cann - to St David's

Comments: Champions by a comfortable margin last time out, Rangers should be confident of another strong showing this year.

They have lost their coach Clevie Wade and all-rounder Lionel Cann, while young seamer Malachi Jones has been seconded to the under-19s.

It was rumoured that a clutch of youngsters from Warwick would be brought in, but as it turned out only Randy Bean arrived, and he could end up spending more time with the under-19s than with his new club.

Despite those issues Rangers still have more strength in depth than any other team.

The Tucker cousins, Dion Stovell, Curtis Jackson and Keith Wainwright give their batting a very solid look, while Traddie Simpson rivals George O'Brien as the quickest bowler in Bermuda. Olin Jones and Leverock give them the best spin attack in the country and few would back against them retaining their crown.

St. David's

Coach: Lionel Cann

Captain: Lionel Cann

Star Players: George O'Brien, Delyone Borden, OJ Pitcher

Arrivals: Lionel Cann from Southampton Rangers, Phillip Pitcher from St George's

Departures: Carvel Wallace, Allen Richardson to Devonshire Rec, Jamal Woodley to Warwick

Comments: Only Cann has come in for St David's but they look a significantly stronger outfit this time around.

OJ Pitcher and Delyone Borden, who were only available in patches last year, are back from school and able to play the whole season.

George O'Brien, the most dangerous bowler in Bermuda, is back with a point to prove to the national team selectors, and Cann's infectious enthusiasm and confidence will give the team a significant boost.

Arthur Pitcher jnr and Sammy Robinson give the team good balance and they look the likeliest challengers to Rangers this time.

Cann has talked up youngsters like Shae Pitcher jnr and his own son Diego McCallan as potential additions to the team and believes his side will be close contenders in an open title race.

Social Club

Coach: Charlie Marshall

Captain: Jemieko Marshall (not confirmed)

Star Players: Charlie Marshall, Kevin Hurdle, Glenn Blakeney

Arrivals: Glenn Blakeney, Dennis Pilgrim from Bailey's Bay, Damon Rabain from Cleveland

Departures: None

Comments: After finishing second last time out Charlie Marshall is hoping to take his team to the championship this time around.

The addition of Glenn Blakeney heralds the return of one of Bermuda's most talked about talents. He may not play a role from the outset but is expected to grace Social Club's top order at some point this season.

The return of Kevin Hurdle is another major boost. Bermuda's premier strike bowler was playing club cricket in England last season and only featured once for Social Club - in a bowl-off.

In his absence Jaymo Durham excelled to be the league's top wicket-taker.

Jemeiko Marshall and last weekend's centurian Nakia Smith along with Marshall snr make-up one of the strongest batting line-ups in the league.

"The guys have been training really hard. We are trying to improve on the mistakes we made last year. We had a great season last year but there's still room to improve," said the player/coach.

Somerset

Coach: Winston Reed

Captain: Jacobi Robinson

Star Players: Azeem Pitcher, Dwight Basden, Hasan Durham

Arrivals: Hasan Durham, Jekon Edness, Jermaine Warner

Departures: Allan Wayne Ball jnr, Kevin Vickers to Willow Cuts

Comments: Coach Winston Reed believes he has a talented squad on his hands and has targeted the title.

Azeem Pitcher will be relied upon to do the bulk of the work with the bat, with the likes of new-boy Jermaine Warner, Tony Cheeseman, Dwight Basden and Devon Wade providing solid support.

The addition of Hasan Durham gives them extra options with the ball while skipper Robinson remains one of the top all-rounders in the country.

Wendell White is expected to come out at some point in the season while wicket-keeper Jekon Edness, who has left Western Stars, is expected to return from the academy in Cardiff at the end of the month to join up with his new team.

There has been a lot of hype about 14-year-old Sam Maybury jnr (who took five for 25 in the two-day league last weekend) already this season and Reed believes the young all-rounder will surprise a few people.

He's one of a clutch of talented players who will be used in rotation this season. Another future star, Jordan De Silva, will be lost to the under-19s for the bulk of the season.

Cleveland

Coach: Clay Smith

Captain: Jason Simons

Star Players: Dennis Musson, Barry Gibbons, Clay Smith

Arrivals: Merkell Smith from Bailey's Bay

Departures: Damon Rabain to Social Club

Comments: Clay Smith is the only star name in a squad with comparatively modest ambitions.

Smith has targeted a top four finish, which is a sensibly realistic aim for a yo-yo team who have bounced between the divisions over the past couple of years.

Fit and ready for the new season the player/coach will shoulder the bulk of the batting work along with skipper Jason Simons and Carlton Smith. His son Clay Darrell may also get a look-in.

In the bowling department Tamauri Tucker will be a big-miss having been called up to the under-19s.

But Smith has a bevy of talented seamers at his disposal and reckons the likes of Barry Gibbons and Dennis Musson could be national team contenders by the end of the season.

Indian all-rounder Suraj Mehta was a late signing and Smith has tipped him as Cleveland's 'surprise package' this summer.

St. George's

Coach: George Cannonier

Captain: Ryan Steede

Star Players: Herbie Bascome, Troy Hall, Greg Foggo

Arrivals: Ryan Steede, Rodney Trott from Bailey's Bay, Trevor Forth from Willow Cuts.

Departures: Phillip Pitcher to St David's

Comments: A place in the top four and qualification for the BELCO Cup is the minimum requirement for Cannonier this season, who has one eye on the championship.

The veteran coach has a seriously strong bowling attack at his disposal with Steede, Herbie Bascome and Greg Foggo, who is back playing for the eastenders. giving a variety of options.

Troy Hall is still one of the top bats in Bermuda and St George's look to have a strong squad.

"I think we'll be able to hold our own," said Cannonier.

"We'll be looking for a high league position. One of our goals is the Championship. It would be remiss of me not to aim for that."

Western Stars

Coach: Maurice Lowe

Captain: Justin Robinson?

Star Players: Justin Robinson, Treadwell Gibbons, Maurice Lowe

Arrivals: Sidney Fray from Police

Departures: Hasan Durham, Jekon Edness to Somerset, Ian Armstrong to Devonshire Rec, Saleem Mukuddem to Leg Trappers.

Comments: If the season goes half as bad for Western Stars as the off-season did then they'll be relegated by the end of June.

Stars lost a host of their top international players over the winter with the exodous leaving them short on numbers.

The team that won the league a couple of seasons ago has been virtually dismantled.

But there is still plenty of talent at St John's with all-rounder Justin Robinson and opener Treadwell Gibbons among the best.

It could be a tough season, though, with virtually every other team improving their squads from last year.

Flatts

Coach: Dean Minors

Star Players: Derrick Wright, Gary Brangman, Dean Minors

Arrivals: None

Departures: None

Comments: No change for Flatts who battled to keep their heads above water last season.

There are many more heralded players in Bermuda than Gary Brangman. But while others stole the headlines it was the Flatts star that quietly compiled the best all-round stats in the league.

His batting average of 41.25 aided by the fact that he was only out three times in seven innings, but 18 wickets at 12.11 apiece is outstanding bowling under any circumstances.

Dean Minors, away on national duty for most of last season, should have more time to devote to the club cause now that he is retired from international cricket.

And the player/coach will need to be at his best to keep Flatts in contention.

Bermuda Under-19s

Coaches: Arnold Manders, Andre Manders, Clevie Wade

Captains: Malachi Jones/Rodney Trott

Star Players: Malachi Jones, Rodney Trott, Chris Douglas

Comments: The inclusion of the under-19s adds an exciting new dynamic to the first half of the season and it will be interesting to see how they fare. The squad is packed with talent. Players like Jones and Trott have already made a big impression at this level and forced their way into the senior squad. Jordan De Silva, 17, is a genuine all-round talent while the likes of leg-spinner Tre Govia, seamer Tamauri Tucker and Lamar Richardson give them a strong, balanced bowling attack.

The batting is short on firepower with only Warwick batsman Douglas a proven performer. But there are high hopes for the likes of Dennico Hollis and for the all-round capabilities of DeSilva and Jones.

There has been some resistance to the under-19s inclusion in the Premier Division with some clubs naturally disinclined to losing their best young players.

But overall it has to be good for Bermuda and it will be interesting to see how they gel as a team ahead of the crucial international fixtures later in the year. They could be a real danger to some of the more established teams.[[In-content Ad]]

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