REDDITCH Entaco begin their 2019 season in the newly-formed Worcestershire League Premier Division with a visit to Old Hill on Saturday.
Both clubs were previously in the Birmingham League in 2018. Russell Southwick will captain the Kingfishers having missed last season through work commitments.
The club have been busy recruiting new players and have acquired talented spinner Hasnain Nawaz from Stourbridge and Muhummad Sarfraz from Aldridge.
Redditch have snapped up an overseas player from Australia in the shape of wicketkeeper/batsman Chris Brown and have managed to retain the services of numerous promising players.
The squad now has strength in depth and big things will be expected from the likes of Ghulam Moyhuddin, Waqas Ali and Rizwan Mohammed.
Redditch Entaco 2nds, under the leadership of new captain Liam Phelan, entertain Kings Heath in a pre-season friendly at Bromsgrove Road on Saturday.
Astwood Bank will play alongside local rivals Redditch in the Worcestershire League Premier Division this season and begin their campaign at Worcester.
STUDLEY launch their Warwickshire League Division Two season at home to RMCC a week on Saturday and will be boosted by the arrival of talented Australian leg-spinner Dylan Smith as they seek to win promotion.
Smith, from Adelaide, has a UK passport and is from a very supportive family. He has played premier grade for Northern Districts and comes highly recommended by his captain and current Leicestershire player, former Australian international batsman Mark Cosgrove.
Smith also plays in the same grade cricket side as Somerset batsman Tim Rouse and Middlesex all-rounder James Harris.
Studley skipper Jack Williams said: “We are delighted to add Dylan to our team. He recently took the wicket of current Australia batsman Travis Head.
“He made his South Australian Cricket Association Premier Cricket debut at just 16 and is a member of the South Australian Emerging Players Programme.
“We want to offer him the chance to develop his cricket further by experiencing our English conditions.”
