THE ECB Cornwall Premier League gets underway later with 18 weeks of excitement guaranteed as Penzance looked to defend their title.
The St Clare outfit have lost four of their title-winning squad with skipper Ben Seabrook moving to Australia, off-spinner Giles Lawrence retiring to take over the second team and Dan Lello and Andrew Libby rejoining Hayle St Austell respectively.
Former player Brad Wadlan returns to the club he played for in 2017 and 2018 after a trophy-laden spell as player/coach at Swansea, while exciting batsman Nic Halstead-Cleak joins from Bristol where he’s averaged over 50.
All-rounder Charlie Sharland arrives from Bridgwater while the additions of Pakistani First Class bowler Mehran Sanwal and Cornwall bowling all-rounder Tommy Sturgess (Wargrave) ensured Wadlan has four bowlers who can hit speeds close to 80mph.
Exciting youngster Tom Hazell-Evans has moved to the area but starts in the seconds, while Libby’s departure has been filled by the arrival of left-arm spinner Charlie Hearn from Helston.
They visit a St Austell side who are similar to usual, but with a couple of potentially season-defining additions.
New captain Alex Bone has managed to get the club to agree to facilitate a move for hard-hitting Sri Lankan batsman Thevindu Dickwella who is also a handy off-spinner, while the return of Andrew Libby ensures he and former captain Gary Bone should be difficult to get away in the middle overs.
Both sides are close to full strength, although Sanwal is yet to arrive in the country.
ST AUSTELL: Connor Cooke, Andrew Libby, Dan Jarman, Thevindu Dickwella, Alex Bone (capt), Mike Bone, Gary Bone, Adam Snowdon, Steve Raven, Ben Sleeman, Liam Watson.
PENZANCE: Christian Purchase, Jack Paull (wkt), Nic Halstead-Cleak, Brad Wadlan (capt), Charlie Sharland, Grant Stone, Tommy Sturgess, Josh Croom, Jonny Ludlam, Tom Dinnis, Charlie Hearn.
CALLINGTON enjoyed a highly-productive 2024, finishing as runners-up in the league and winning the Hawkey Cup and look set for another title tilt, and they start with a visit from local rivals Werrington.
Former Warwickshire, Derbyshire and Glamorgan all-rounder Graham Wagg is once again the captain, but with the new rule of only one player being allowed to have played 20 pro games, former Somerset leg-spinner Max Waller is unable to play. However, he is the new head coach.
However, it is the additions of Cornwall duo Xavier Clarke and Max Tryfonos that could be most important.
Clarke arrives from Welsh side Ammanford, while Cornwall pro Tryfonos was playing for Bristol-based Bedminster in the West of England Premier League.
Both enjoyed highly-productive seasons in Australia over the winter and will bat at three and four.
South African Rowen Taplin will bat in the middle-order having arrived as a UK passport holder, while exciting fast bowler Spencer Whatley has been rewarded for his impressive pre-season form with a debut in the top-tier.
Newcomer Jack Greening will have to wait for a debut having joined from Holsworthy.
Werrington’s winter has been quiet with just one departure to report, batsman Ryan Pooley back to Tintagel.
The Tron finished sixth last term and if they finish around there again will have done well with plenty of sides around them strengthening.
Sri Lankan Thulina Dilshan eventually adapted to Cornish wickets with aplomb and is back for a second summer, while captain Nick Lawson is promising chances for some of the club’s talented younger generation when chances arise.
They are without seasoned campaigners Ben Smeeth and Sam Hockin, while the talented George Rickard is also away.
CALLINGTON: Aidan Libby, Liam Lindsay, Xavier Clarke, Max Tryfonos, Graham Wagg (capt), Rowen Taplin, Mohammed Danyaal, Joe White (wkt), Ben Ellis, Spencer Whatley, Harry Sawyers.
WERRINGTON: John Moon, Nick Lawson (capt, wkt), Adam Hodgson, Thulina Dilshan, Mark Gribble, Tom Lyle, Ben Jenkin, Zander Zambuni, Dan Barnard, Mark Taskis, Jordan Duke.
PROMOTED Grampound Road are only in the top-flight due to Beacon being unable to go up, and ‘The Road’ know they will need to enjoy home comforts to stand any chance of survival.
They do, however, look stronger on paper than last term.
Former county all-rounder Antony Angove has arrived and is likely to bat at the top of the order alongside the hard-hitting Dave Hoskings who looks to set to play more this summer.
Sri Lankan all-rounder Ravi Karunarathna – who racked up the runs and wickets last term – will need to be at his best with both bat and ball.
They start at home to a Wadebridge side who have a new captain in former county all-rounder Kelvin Snell.
He replaces James Turpin who guided the club to their finest hour, winning the title in 2023.
Australian UK passport holder Lachlan Crump is over for the summer to add some firepower in the middle-order and bowl some overs, while the likes of Turpin, Matt Robins and Callum Wilson will be pivotal once more.
However, this weekend they must do without batsman Matt Rowe and wicket-keeper Fred Wilkinson with Charlie McLachlan and Tom Wood coming in.
GRAMPOUND ROAD: Dave Hoskings, Antony Angove, Chris Roberts, Ravi Karunarathna, Tom Orpe (capt), Harry Gregory (wkt), Alex Lean, Jack Mingo, Tom Fox-Dean, David Neville, Nathan Keevil.
WADEBRIDGE: Matt Robins, Tom McLachlan (wkt), Charlie McLachlan, Lachlan Crump, James Turpin, Callum Wilson, Kelvin Snell (capt), Tom Wood, Elliot Dunnett, Matt Lawrence, Tom Clarke.
TRURO comfortably survived last term in their first season back following promotion, and Charlie Kent takes his side to Helston tomorrow.
The city outfit have a new-look with Indian Akhilesh Sahani replacing former Pakistan international Amir Yamin as the overseas player, while former county spinner Neil Ivamy is starting the season in the seconds with his son, Jack.
There are other arrivals however.
Opening batsman Jack Williams has moved from Cranmore in Somerset, while Cornwall all-rounder Scott Kellow has joined from Constantine and debuts.
Luke Johnson has moved to Boscawen Park from Redruth but will have to wait another week, while wicket-keeper Wilf Bartlett is included having left Penzance.
Helston have a new overseas player in Aussie Yuvi Sharma who has been racking up the runs at home, although it’s the addition of Somerset’s Lewis Goldsworthy as the pro that could win them several games depending on how often he plays. Sharma is yet to arrive in the country but Goldsworthy is named in the side which also includes Harry Saunders, a spinner from Perth who holds a UK passport.
With those two plus Dan Jenkin, Karl Leathley and Billy Taylor, runs shouldn’t be in short supply at Beacon Parc.
The loss of Charlie Hearn to Penzance could be keenly felt, but they look better equipped this term to be away from the bottom.
HELSTON: Dan Jenkin (capt), Billy Taylor, Lewis Goldsworthy, Matt Jilbert (wkt), Steve Jenkin, Mark Jenkin, Sunny Osmont, Gavin Tregenza, Harry Saunders, Ryan Tonkin, Brad Bury.
TRURO: Harry Phillips, Jack Williams, Charlie Kent (capt), Akhilesh Sahani, Scott Kellow, Adam Price, Ted Phillips, Wilf Bartlett (wkt), Rob Harrison, Freddie Bose, Aswin Philip Varghese.
REDRUTH welcome eight-time champions St Just with the Reds looking to build on last year’s fifth-placed finish.
Sri Lankan Dulash Udayanga is back for a second summer following a fine year in 2024, while fast bowler Justin Beaton replaces Alex MacInnes as the UK passport holder. He took 12 wickets last summer for Sussex Seconds and could prove a big hit in West Cornwall.
Luke Johnson has left for Truro, but the arrivals of Lloyd Brock and Dylan Caddy will add plenty of firepower, particularly with the ball.
As ever, the club’s impressive spin resources will be key with Piran Kent, Ellis Whiteford and Craig Johnson still around.
St Just will once again rely on the evergreen Neil Curnow and Gareth May, particularly with the bat, while Sri Lankan Chamikara Edirisinghe, who misses out this weekend, is back and a guarantee of runs and wickets once available.
Curnow and May’s old team-mate Justin Stephens is back at Cape Road as a player and head coach and has brought his promising son Lewis with him.
Batsman Dom Angove has gone St Ives, while there is no mention yet of a pro.
St Just may create a bit of league history later when they name four fathers and sons in a Cornish Premier League team.
REDRUTH: Toby Whiteford, Peter Howells (wkt), Toby Stoddard, Dulash Udayanga, Elliott Stoddard, Lloyd Brock, Piran Kent (capt), Justin Beaton, Ellis Whiteford, Craig Johnson, Dylan Caddy.
ST JUST: Neil Curnow, Ellis May, Justin Stephens, Mark Waters, Logan Curnow, Gareth May (capt), Lewis Stephens, Gavin Edwards (wkt), Ben Stevens, Hayden Waters, Joe Clifton-Griffith.