New sponsors, new season and a fresh intake of clubs will spark a record campaign for the York and District Senior League.

The league will now be known as The Hunters Estate Agent York & District Senior Cricket League and also heralds a further expansion with three new clubs bringing the membership figure to a record 48 clubs.

With four second X1s also being admitted, the fifth division will operate with 17 clubs with each playing the other 16 teams once and four teams twice.

This is a one season arrangement as three more sides are to be admitted in 2002 which will allow the bottom division to split into two divisions each of ten teams.

League Cup winners Dunnington will resume their premier division status after their enforced season in the first division with a home game against Pickering when the league programme gets underway on April 28 and will be keen to make an early impression.

Their attack will again be spearheaded by Joe Grant who will be keen to recapture the devastating form which saw him grab 71 wickets last season despite missing a number of early games.

His side's attack will be strengthened by the return to the York League of John McHale who has joined the Common Road side from Central Yorkshire League club Methley.

McHale will also strengthen the batting as he hit 951 runs when he last played in the first division with Selby in 1995.

And the runs-quotient will be further heightened by the recruitment of Collis King from Stillington where he will join fellow former West Indian Test star Alvin Kallicharran and Hamid Khan from Leeds Police.

Easingwold's hopes of retaining the title have been severely hit by Martin Robinson's broken leg suffered while skiing. His side will be looking to overseas recruit Damon Smith to score a hatful of runs from his top four berth as well as utilise his off-breaks effectively.

Smith is one of 15 Australians on duty as 24 clubs have turned to overseas players.

Chris Simpson is one of the few local players to move clubs in a return to his original club, Acomb, after a long successful stint in the Bradford League with Pudsey Congs.

Paul Hemingway has also joined the club from Heworth and with Sri Lankan Duminda Perera returning for a second season, Acomb, under the leadership of new skipper Dave Sykes should be among the leaders.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge's young side should again give a good account of themselves and Steve Crowder's side will include Aussie Kieran Rodgers, who has replaced Shak Nawaz in attack.

Clifton Alliance will be hoping that their Australian Darren Reeves will maintain the high standard of their previous antipodean recruits.

Heworth's Graham Hayward is one of two South Africans who will be on show and the Elm Park Way side will be hoping the all-rounder's experience gained in his three first class appearances with Eastern Province will benefit Dave Simpson's side.

Thirsk's Barry Petty has undergone an operation on his knee and may well miss the first two or three games. In addition Andrew Hawke will be an absentee but Melbourne-based Lincoln McCrae is returning to the Racecourse side.

Woodhouse Grange have signed Simon Lazenby from Heslington and will welcome Sajid Ali from Lahore to a side which should be capable of achieving a mid-table position.

Osbaldwick have signed Aussie all-rounder Stuart Boyle and skipper Steve Young will be hoping that his side improve on last term's tenth place.

Indian Ankur Sendhi is returning to Driffield, who have also recruited Simon Lazenby from Bubwith and may well bounce back to the premier division at the first attempt. Pocklington with Australian Nathan Job and York, who will have Aussie Kent Stone in their line-up, appear the likely challengers.

Stillington's promotion last season owed much to Collis King and Dwayne Field who will both be missing. The latter's overseas berth is to be filled by Pakistani Mohammed Hafeez who will need to turn in match-winning performances on a regular basis if his side are to make their mark in the higher division.

Stamford Bridge's overseas signing has failed to materialise and they too may struggle to make a mark.

Beverley Town have signed the league's first Namibian in Tobias Verway. A right-handed batsman who bowls leg spin and keeps wicket, he has represented his country at under 19 level.

Newcomers Hull Zingari will open their programme with a visit to Bridlington and will be looking to get a flier in their bid to gain promotion at the first attempt. Zingari are another team to recruit from Australia with Damon Rowan joining the Chanterlands side.

The division seems to have strength in depth with Bridlington, Castleford, Scarborough, Harrogate and Goole Town all catching the eye.

In contrast, Rowntrees, Civil Service and Clifton Alliance II may find themselves struggling in the lower reaches.

Updated: 12:21 Tuesday, April 24, 2001