The Secure Trust Bank Bradford League campaign begins tomorrow. In the second part of our preview
to the new season,we turn the spotlight on Division One, where Pudsey Congs are going for a hat-trick of top-flight titles.
Baildon will be looking to cement their position in the Bradford Cricket League elite with another strong season.
They are seen as one of the main challengers to Congs and will be desperate to stop a Pudsey hat-trick of titles.
Philip Slater and Tom Atkinson have come into the side as well as Adam Patel from Bankfoot.
Richard Robinson has headed down to the second division to captain Keighley and Mark Bray has gone to championship rivals Pudsey Congs.
Off-spinner Chris Brice, Yorkshire's Richard Pyrah and James Stansfield, Brighouse, are Cleckheaton's additions for the 2002 season.
Faisal Irfan will be looking to lead the bowling attack with his lightning pace as they look to improve on 10th place.
East Bierley will be one team looking to knock Pudsey Congs off their perch.
With the arrival of Jonathan Proud, from Harrogate, as the new opening batsman and left-hander Matthew Page coming in at number three, they are looking a stronger squad than last year.
They will be desperate to improve on their fourth place, and are confident of pushing Congs all the way for a title.
Having won the Priestley Cup three years in a row, until a disappointing year last time around, they will also be looking for a return to the cup glory days.
Farsley will be hoping to translate the success of the their table-topping second XI into the first team.
Pakistani batsman Asim Munir is coming in to fill the overseas slot and will join Nahim Ashrof, of Idle, at the top of the order.
On the bowling side, new pace will be provided by Gary Ramsden and Andrew Walker with young leg-spinner Mark Lawson also joining the set-up.
Two succesful pre-season friendlies have helped with any selection headaches with the teenage Lawson showing he has learned a lot in Australia with a first half-century for the club.
hanging Heaton
Overseas star Ajit Bhoite will once again will be a key player as Hanging Heaton look to improve on last year's fifth place.
Alan Mynett comes in behind the stumps and Michael Royce and Henry Anderson, from Broad Oak, also enter the team.
Hoping to break into the big four this year.
Newly promoted Lightcliffe have a new skipper to guide them to consolidation in Division One.
Paul Ramsden will captain a side including new signings Alex Stead (Yorkshire 2nd XI), Pace bowler Lee Smith and off-spinner Dean Heyhoe.
The lack of a bar leaves them as an amateur club in a league of professionals but they are determined to stay up thanks to promising youngsters and loyal players.
PUDSEY CONGS
Defending champions Pudsey Congs have signed Vic Craven from the Yorkshire league and Mark Bray from Baildon in their bid to win a third consecutive Division One title.
Opener James Middlebrook remains registered but is unlikely to return much from his new duties in the county championship at Essex.
Andy Bethel, top-scorer last year with 903, is hoping to top 1,000 runs.
pudsey
st lawrence
Pudsey St Lawrence will be hoping to push their neighbours all the way, even without the services of all-rounder Ian Fisher, who is off to Gloucestershire.
He may play the occasional game where available but replacements have arrived in the form of Farsley trio Stewart Smith (opening batsman), Andrew Doidge (off-spinner and brother of Congs captain Matthew) and Stephen Brown (squad player).
Paul Hutchinson has also departed from the side that finished joint second last time around.
SPEN VICTORIA
Spen Victoria will be without the services of talismanic all-rounder Grant Lambert as they push for a top-half finish.
Although he will be sadly missed, Pakistani pace bowler Rao Iftikhar Anjum is filling the overseas slot with a number of other new faces at the club.
Batsman Scott Cunningham is coming in after a South African winter and Gary Newton comes in from the Yorkshire Academy.
Chris Elstub has been given permission by his county to play and spin bowler Andrew Luxton has joined from Esholt.
Mark Gilliver has dropped down to Esholt with Faizal Afridi, the former Brighouse Pakistani, coming in to keep Undercliffe above mid-table obscurity.
They have also added Chris Taylor, from Farsley, Andy Walker and Greg Lambert.
woodlands
Quick bowler and batting hero Safraz Ahmed will be looking to lead Woodlands to division one safety after his magnificent performances with bat and ball did so much to reach the top flight.
The side remains mostly unchanged apart from the addition of leg-spinner Nick Murrills from the University Academy.
Yeadon are looking to push into the big four as they cement themselves as a Division One side.
Opening batsman Neil Elvidge has returned after a year out and Damian Shannahan, from Australia, has come into fill the overseas slot, opening the bowling and batting three. Desperate to catch Pudsey Congs cold in tomorrow's season opener.
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