PREMIER DIVISION
DEFENDING champions Sidmouth will be mounting a ‘robust' defence of the Premier Division title they won last year when the new season starts with a derby clash at Budleigh Salterton tomorrow.
Sidmouth, the previous season's A Division champions, swept to the Premier title ahead of Budleigh and Plympton, who were a distant third.
Detractors said that Sidmouth were a one-man team – the man in question being Devon's Aussiep-born star all-rounder Neil Hancock, who rejoined the club in 2007.
Murray said Sidmouth had more depth than they get credit for, which is why he is confident the title can be retained for another year.
“We hear the one-man-team jibe all the time, but we know differently down at Sidmouth,” said Murray.
“Hanks did score 500 runs in a wet season, but Josh Bess made more than 400, Anthony Griffiths was around the 350 mark and Trent Ovens got 250-odd.
“Scott Barlow and myself took most of the wickets, so it's nonsense to call us a one-man team.
“It will be hard emulating last season, when we won the league, the East Devon Twenty20 and reached the final of the Devon Cup, but we will be going for it.”
Louis Talay was Sidmouth's overseas player in 2008. He has been replaced by Aussie batsman Chris Williams for 2009.
Budleigh start the season without skipper Ian Bishop, who is serving a five-match suspension imposed at the end of last season.
Sandy Allen, who is caretaker captain during Bishop's absence, believes Budleigh will benefit from the overseas player problems in the league, which will help them mount a title challenge.
“Clubs are having lots of difficulties getting their overseas players in due to all the new rules laid down by the ECB and the Home Office,” said Allen.
“For clubs who rely heavily on their overseas player for runs and wickets, that is going to be a problem.
“We feel at Budleigh we have enough quality in the side so an overseas player isn't a big loss. That's why we haven't replaced Steve Spoljaric, who has been with us for the past couple of seasons.
PREMIER new boys Bradninch are among the clubs embroiled in the overseas player issue as they have lost Aussie Ryan Butterworth to Cumbrian club Whitehaven due to all the uncertainty generated by the new rules, both legal and from the league.
Batter Butterworth, with Bradninch for the last two years, moved on when it became apparent new league rules meant he could not play in the same side as skipper and fellow countryman Joel Murphy.
Bradninch have risen dramatically up the divisions since 2003 – three promotions have taken them into the top flight – and competing with the big boys without an overseas player could be viewed as a handicap.
Murphy does not see it that way though, commenting: “We have never had an overseas player in to prop up our team as you want someone who will compliment what you have rather than dominate.
“”There is no use getting promoted thanks to one outstanding player if you can't sustain it after they have gone.
“We have got a young side that is old in terms of cricket experience. Having worked hard to get to the Premier Division we are going to enjoy the experience.”
That experience starts with a home game against Plymouth tomorrow.
BOVEY Tracey's South African import Farhaan Behardien already looks like being a handful – as South Devon found out when he took a quickfire ton off them on Sunday.
Behardian, who plays First Class cricket in the same Titans side as ex-Test star Jacques Rudolph, comes in as a straight overseas replacement for Pakistani Imran Ali Pasha.
Also new to Bovey is Gupret Singh, an off-spin bowler who played for Countess Wear in the E Division last season.
It's taken Bovey a long time to get back into the top flight since being relegated out of it in 2003. Player-coach Andy Fairbairn said for the players who had stuck with the club tomorrow's meeting with Exeter will be a bit special.
“The year we went down virtually everyone in the team had no Premier experience and had been shoved up from the 2 nd XI because almost all the previous year's side had left,” said Fairbairn.
“It was a struggle for the first two years and it has been a long road back to the Premier Division for Bovey Tracey.
“For the five or six players who have stayed with the club and worked at becoming better cricketers, our first game back is going be special.
“We have a had a Premier scalp or two in cup games and gave Exeter a real scare two years ago.
“Only time will tell if we are good enough to stay up, but we will be giving it a bash.”
Exeters' pre-season build up has been overshadowed by a registration wrangle over long-serving Aussie Glenn Lammonby, who now counts as an overseas player despite living in this country for almost 20 years.
Lammonby is now classed as an overseas player in the absence of holding a UK passport, which means he and Aussie batsman Marshall Hood can't play in the same team.
Lammonby is sitting out the start of the season to consider his options, which may include moving to another club.
Devon batsman Rob Holman already has moved on: he is looking for new challenges in the West of England League with Weston-super-Mare. Alvin Pollard is on the way to Exmouth – transfer in process – and Derek Lammonby has gone to Chagford to link up with former Exeter favourites Mark Gribble and Pete Lucketti.
Lee Denslow, a left-armer, has transferred in from Taunton and Exeter have also signed Gloucestershire spinner Vickram Banerjee, although his appearance are likely to be occasional if at all.
It's a transitional year at the County Ground – which looks in marvellous condition thanks to the hard work of groundsman Andy Ellett – with youth to the fore.
Players to watch out for, according to skipper Jon Tipper, are Alex Brown, James Street and Cameron Grainger.
TORQUAY captain Justin Yau knows rival clubs will be wary of his team this season after they pulled off a remarkable Houdini act last term.
Even club chairman Steve Craig was tipping Torquay to lose their Premier Division status last season after a mid-winter exodus left the playing ranks seriously depleted.
Second team resources were so slim that Torquay pulled out of the Premier Division in the mirror-image competition and went back in as an E Division side.
Torquay defied the odds to dodge the drop and send Exmouth down with Paignton. It was a remarkable achievement, but Yau knows opposing sides will be wise to the threat his team represent.
“We worked hard throughout the season and believed we had the ability to stay up and to do so with five wins under our belts was the most satisfying thing,” said Yau.
“Spirit at the club is at heights which haven't been reached for years - and everyone now wants us to build on last year's survival.
“We will look to stabilise this year, wary of the fact that teams will know who we are and realise we are no pushovers.
“If anything this year will prove to be more difficult than last year as we had no expectations and went into every game as underdogs.”
Torquay have lured Nick Watkin away from Barton, which will strengthen the batting and the bowling reserves. Yau has appointed the former Devon U21s captain as his number two.
“Nick looks fresh and ready for a new challenge,” said Yau.
“His attitude thus far has been magnificent and he will be a major part of this team as we move forward.”
Other new signings are Harry Moores, a batter from Somerset side Castle Cary who has moved into the area, and Peter Exley, a seam bowler from Leicester who has played for England U15s.
Torquay have re-engaged Indian paceman Usman Malvi as their overseas player, but are waiting for him to arrive from Munbai.
Usman is waiting for his visa to be issued before he can travel.
Torquay open up with a trip to Sandford tomorrow.
Sandford have lost county pair David Lye and Trevor Anning to Exmouth as well as former skipper Richard Foan back to former club Bradninch.
With Zimbabwean international Douglas Hondo also a gonner, the armchair followers have been predicting that Sandford could be on the slide. New captain Adrian Small is not amused.
“It is an outrageous idea and if that's what people think they are going to get a shock,” said Small.
“The side we have is good enough to finish in mid-table, and maybe only one or two players short of challenging to win the Premier.
“The likes of Bovey Tracey, Torquay and Bradninch would love to have some of the playing riches we have. We don't lack contributors to Premier Division cricket.
“Our first three games are Torquay, North Devon and Bradninch – it is not the toughest start – and it will be interesting to see where we once they are out of the way.”
Small is confident as Sandford have made a number of useful signings.
Top of the list is Tianne Mostert, a South African batsman who bowls a bit and has had limited First Class experience with Northerns.
Mark Prideaux, a batter with a track record in the North Devon League, has joined and keeper Chris Blake is back from a spell living in New Zealand.
NORTH Devon appear to have counted themselves out of the title race this year if skipper Rob Ayre's comments are anything to go by.
Ayre, who has resumed the skippership after handing it to Matt Westaway last term, was the captain who led North Devon to their first Premier title in 2007.
The Instow outfit were closer to the bottom than the top last season, even though in Stuart Rhodes (641) they had the leading run scorer in the division.
No one else topped 300 – Neil Bettis (299) was nearest – and the 30-odd wickets taken by Tom Allin in 2007 were also missed. Allin was attached to Warwicshire last season and took his wickets for Shrewsbury in the Birmingham League. Rob Gear (25) was top wicket taker.
Bettis says he isn't playing this summer – burnout after a long soccer season is being blamed – and last season's leading wicket taker is working in the Emirates until mid-July.
So Ayre's goals are relatively modest, although not hugely downbeat.
“We are not going to be turning the whole world over, but we will win our share of games,” said Ayre.
“This is going to be a breakthrough season for a number of our younger players, who have been pushing for a while now.”
Watch out for identical twins Craig and Jamie Overton, who are going to come into contention once they have fulfilled their cricket commitments at West Buckland School.
Jas Kalsi has been honing his game in New Zealand during the winter and is another with 1 st XI aspirations.
North Devon get one of their longest trips of the season out of the way tomorrow when they visit Plympton.
Plympton include Holland U19 batsman Steven DeBruin.
PLYMPTON skipper Keith Donohue starts off his quest for the Premier League title with a warning that overseas players from Pakistan may be difficult for Devon clubs to acquire this season.
The Harewood House outfit, strong contenders for the championship last season, are trying to get a Pakistani overseas player on board. Left arm pacer Nazar Hussian is their target man.
But Donohue admitted their target player was having trouble getting a visa because of the amount of unrest in the region.
The threat of terrorism has resulted in tougher rules for players obtaining visas to play in England.
Donohue said: "We are looking at getting a Pakistani player, but we're finding it a bit difficult.
"I think a lot of clubs are finding it difficult to get people over here from that particular area because of the troubles over there.
"The problems are holding up the issuing of visas."
Donohue has other problems other than the non-arrival of his overseas player.
Key batsman Jeremy Williams, who nevertheless is included in the side to face North Devon at home (1.30pm).
Williams cracked a knuckle in a pre-season match – he was ironically damaged by one of his own bowlers – and may not be fit.
Donohue, though, reckons his team is in good enough shape overall to have a tilt at the title.
He said: "It would be useful to get a good overseas player in who can help to bring what is a very young team on.
"But if we haven't got one, we haven't got one. There are signs that the young players – and some are teenagers – we've got are starting to mature.
"If we don't have an overseas player, it's going to put the spotlight on our younger players to perform well regularly.
"As for the title, we haven't been far off for the past couple of seasons, but we know there have been moments during the last season where we haven't made the most of opportunities during matches and we have got to do that.
"I don't think there's any one specific reason why we haven't quite won the title – we've just got to play better than the opposition, that's all.
"Realistically, though, after finishing third last year, we've got to try and win the league."
LUKE MINETT, having guided Plymouth through a wobbly first season back in the Premier, reckons they can now move on to better things.
The city side, who won promotion after a long absence from the top flight, briefly rubbed shoulders with a return straight back down again.
But after winning an impressive seven games in a cut-throat division, Minett is hopeful better days are around the corner.
He said: "I am quietly confident that we can do well after we finished lower mid-table last season.
"With it being our first season back last year, the important thing was to stay up. We are going to miss the bowling of Andy Horrill, no question about that. But I feel that with the people who have come in, the side has been strengthened.
Minett added: "We probably exceeded all expectations last season, and you always look to improve on what you did last season."
Plymouth start their campaign at promoted Bradninch.
Minett said: "They're new to the league, but they're a good side and we will expect a hard game."
Plymouth's overseas player is Aussie batter Steve Marks. Former Plymouth College student James Toms, previously with Torquay and Barton, is also on board.
.