Greg Thompson has once again taken the captaincy at Waringstown, having previously captained the Lawn side to great success previously.

Now 35, Thompson was Ireland's youngest international, just 16 at the time of his debut back against the MCC in 2004.

He had a renaissance after his reinvention as a hard-hitting middle-order batsman, winning the last of his 25 caps in 2019.

The schoolteacher replaces Lee Nelson, who stepped down this week at the AGM.

"2023 is going to be an exciting season," Thompson told CricketEurope.

"I’m delighted to take on the captaincy again, following another successful spell with Lee Nelson at the helm.

"We hope to extend our squad by providing opportunities to the younger guys coming through who experienced an excellent season with the 2nd XI last season and hopefully can kick on within the 1st XI squad this season. 

"Supporting the younger players, the likes of Ben Snell and Michael Waite we’re really pleased to have brought James Cameron-Dow onboard in a coaching role, plus the signing of Pat Botha, who enjoyed an excellent couple of seasons with Carrick and will add valuable experience and leadership having captained the Knights back in South Africa."

It promises to be a tough 2023 for all clubs, especially those with significant representatives at interpro and international level, with an expanded programme putting a strain on resources.

Interesting times await....