The flurry of pre-season action is all over and weather permitting, we can now get down to the serious business of league points this Saturday. The one thing you can learn from pre-season friendlies is that you can learn nothing from them! Most captains in Section 1 are predicting that the title race will be between North Down and Waringstown so no real changes there but there is no question that there is a different feel to the 2008 league.

Waringstown have strengthened their squad with the return of Ireland International Gary Kidd and the arrival of Dave Cheater from Millpark. The all rounder who hails from New Zealand was thought to have been courted by CSNI before deciding that possibly being in the hunt for medals isn't as good as definitely being in the hunt for medals. He is a more than useful pace bowler and can bat too. Just when it seemed that it was cut and dried that Waringstown will cruise to the league title the Friends Provident Ireland squad announced contains 3 of their players. James Hall after an impressive U19 World Cup gets an opportunity at Senior level and it is well deserved for the young man who has had a difficult winter. Everyone at Waringstown will wish him well and it is a credit to the club that they keep producing such quality young players. However the more success at International level that James, Kyle and Gary have for Ireland the harder it will be for Waringstown to win the league, but the club wouldn't want it any other way.

North Down have had a turbulent winter and none of it of their own making. It must have been incredibly upsetting for them to have their players being touted with offers of payment on an almost daily basis. Whether you like it or not cricket is still an amateur sport and there is no way that they could compete with the sums of money being suggested. It is testimony to the tight knit nature of their team that only 2 of their number left and it is likely that their absence will be of a short duration. Meanwhile they have quietly recruited Australian Andrew Sutherland and New Zealander Luke Parsons who are living locally. It remains to be seen just how good these two can be but initial indications are positive. David Kennedy, Neil Russell and Marty Dalzell will be hard to replace but if North Down can cope with the absence of Ryan Haire for the first three games due to the U15 World Cup then they will build a momentum that will be difficult to stop. Their batting is still strong and Taimur Khan, Peter Connell and Gavin McKenna represent a significant threat with the new ball

Instonians made a lot of headlines last year. Towards the end of the season they suffered the wrath of the NCU Disciplinary committee after a run in with the officials. However their success in the Club Turf Ulster Cup was richly deserved and they have slowly strengthening their squad over the last few years. The loss of Regan West could be a serious blow but I feel that they are more than capable of shrugging it off. New Professional Shadab Kabir has a decent first class record and is a former Pakistan Test player and will more than make up for the loss of Regan. Eugene Moleon is the new skipper and will play as a local and if former International Neil Carson is available this year as expected then I fancy Instonians to be a serious threat to the big two. They have real quality in their batting with John Stevenson, Andrew White, Simon Wells, James Shannon and the excellent Rory McCann as well as those already mentioned. They may fall just short in the league but I will tip them to win a cup possible the NCU Challenge Cup. There is no doubt in my mind if Instonians can commit in the same way Waringstown and North Down players commit they have the quality to win the league. But that's a big if.