Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League

The birth of the ECB Foster's North East Regional Premier League sent shock waves throughout the local cricket scene and nowhere more so than in the Foster's Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League.

The competition was born out of a merger of the former Tyneside Senior and Northumberland leagues and initially there were just 20 clubs in membership.

This season, 24 sides form two divisions. Three teams will be relegated and three promoted and there is no doubt the league is the strongest apart from the Premier and NYSD Leagues.

"We could have gone on as we were but we took positive steps to merge with the Northumberland League," said chairman Brian Taylor, who was also an officer of the TSL.

"Last year we had only ten sides in each division but even so there was interest right until the last ball.

"Three up and three down has certainly concentrated the minds and kept a lot of clubs involved when their season might have died much earlier."

Ashington, who won both the first and second divisions last season, will operate without a professional but even so will take some beating as they bid to retain the title and gain entry into the Premier League.

They have the same squad but a blow in the early weeks will be the loss of paceman Craig Stanley and batsman Stuart Tiffen, who are both nursing long-term injuries.

South African Aldo van den Berg is back at Annfield Plain. He scored 610 runs averaging 43.6 and also claimed 60 wickets at a cost of just 12 runs apiece. Van den Berg will also skipper the side and the only newcomer is the return of Ian Clough from Bill Quay.

Although finishing third, Sacriston never seriously threatened last summer but they could be a different proposition if former Durham County all-rounder Paul Burn is available.

He will renew his partnership with Stephen Ball which was a feature of the highly-successful Philadelphia side in the late 70s. Ball has moved from Norton as professional, Lee Kirtley is back at the club and Stephen Peel will lead the side.

Swalwell have gone for a local pro in Stephen Humble, who has been one of the most feared bowlers in the Premier League with Blaydon during the last couple of seasons. Their batting will also be strengthened with the inclusion of Graeme Hallam.

Lanchester could cause a shock following promotion into the top flight.

They have signed Bilal Rana, one of the most successful professionals in the North-East since his arrival in 1994. In all, he has scored 6,099 runs at an average of 59.8 and taken 564 wickets at a cost of 13.1 with his spin.

Burnopfield and Benwell & Walbottle also won promotion at the end of last season.

The former will be hoping for more of the same from Imran Abbas. In his first year with the club, he was the first to reach 1,000 runs with a phenomenal average of almost 150.

Benwell & Walbottle have engaged South African Anthony Mabuya, a left-arm spinner.

Shotley Bridge have gone for local lad David Jackson, whose record in nine seasons at Consett is unsurpassed when he recorded 7,156 runs and took 666 wickets.

Mandar Sane, an Indian leg-spinner and batsman, takes over at Ryton, who also have a new captain in Neil Robinson, while Tynedale have engaged Zimbabwean Ian Engelbrecht, a left-arm spinner and early-order batsman.

Lintz never have a professional, concentrating on successfully promoting young talent. They have lost Paul Lumley to Burnopfield but his departure is compensated by the arrival of Paul Armstrong from Blaydon.

Four new sides have joined the second division and Leadgate start favourites to clinch one of the three promotion places. They have snapped up Sean Ackermann, who has shone with Annfield Plain in recent seasons.

Kirkley, Newcastle City and Ponteland, who were all with the Three Counties Northumberland League in recent seasons, have also joined.