Promotion is the main dish on the menu for Worfield skipper Cook

The Davenport Park side will once again be among the favourites for Henshalls Shropshire County League glory having been bolstered by the return of left-arm spinner Ryan Quiney and the addition of another slow bowler, Ben Hudson, who has joined from Wombourne.

“I am pleased with the squad we have, there is a lot of firepower in there,” said Cook. “There is a lot of quality and we will be banging on the door.

“We are a young side, but a lot of the lads have played a lot of cricket so the experience on the pitch is really strong.

“No matter what side we go with we are going to be strong and the lads are raring to get going.”

And Cook is expecting a tough battle for Premier Division glory.

“From what I hear, I think this could be the strongest Shropshire Premier League there has ever been,” added Cook, who has seen seamer Ben Parker join Kidderminster and batsman Tom Whitney move to rivals Quatt.

“Quatt are always really strong and teams like Wellington,

“There are a few strong sides and by no means will we be taking anyone for granted.

“Every side will be competitive and it’s going to be a real tough battle if you want to get near the top. Realistically, if you want to win the league you can’t be losing more than three, four or five games.

“The start is absolutely crucial to set the tone for the rest of the year.”

Shrewsbury seconds skipper Dan Manders aims to give the club’s talented youngsters the perfect grounding this summer.

Manders is charged with the task of being competitive and producing the next batch of players for the senior side.

“We have got some very talented young players who should be looking to progress into the first team,” said Manders, who has recruited all-rounder Luke Thornton from Allscott and bowler Alfie Holliehead from Ludlow.

“When I was young the second team players gave me the grounding to go on and play 20 years in the first team and that is one of my jobs now.

“We want to give them the best cricket possible in Shropshire. We are the first second team to play in the Premier Division and it’s important that we play at this level.”

“We want to be competitive and also develop players for the first team.”

Shelton have strengthened their pack as they bid to build on their 2019 promotion success.

Batsmen Dan Walker and Tim Brierley have arrived from Pontesbury and Oswestry respectively, while all-rounder Jamie Martindale has returned following a stint with Beacon.

Matt Morris will once again lead the side and is looking for some of his younger players to kick on after a taste of top flight cricket during last summer’s shortened campaign.

“The signings have added some depth as we look to build on the success from a couple of years ago,” said Morris.

“We treated last season as an opportunity to give some of the youngsters a chance and they will have benefitted from that experience.”

Allscott Heath are looking for some of their younger players to make an impact this summer.

Skipper Jason Allen’s planning has been dealt a blow after a move for South African all-rounder Morne Venter fell through while Luke Thornton has moved to Shrewsbury.

But Allen has signed wicketkeeper/opening bat Tom Matthews from Sentinel while opening bowler Wayne Phillips is back after a year off.

“We had to give up on Morne Venter because South Africa is on the travel red list and that means he can’t come into the country,” said Allen.

“That’s a big blow because have lost Luke Thornton to Shrewsbury.

“We are still hoping to recruit an overseas before the season starts but it’s proving difficult.

“I hope that some of the younger lads will come through this year. It’s a transitional period for the club and some of the young players are going to have to step up,” said Allen.

“It’s going to be a tough season. The first aim is to survive but I think we have the calibre of player to do that.”

Newport captain Jamie Prew is looking forward to a few selection headaches this summer.

The Audley Avenue outfit, who start their Henshalls Shropshire County League campaign at home to Ludlow on Saturday, have welcomed back two ‘old boys’ and added a new face to their ranks.

Batsman Lee Griffiths is the new arrival having made the switch from Madeley, while all-rounder Ryan Jackman and wicketkeeper/batsman Sam Papps are available after moving back to the area.

The club’s options are further bolstered by the return of skipper Prew after he took a break from action last summer.

And Prew has welcomed the increase in options.

“We are hopefully going to have a decent squad and there will be competition for places,” said Prew.

“It will give me a bit of a headache trying to get 14 into 11, it’s difficult but it’s a nice problem to have and it also strengthens the second team.”

And Prew has set his sights high for this season.

“The ambition has got to be to win the league, otherwise in my opinion there is no point playing,” he said.

“I think everyone is quite looking forward to playing after last year and not playing so much.

“People are raring to go and relishing the prospect of a full season.”

Opening day Premier Division fixtures: Newport v Ludlow; Shrewsbury II v Whitchurch; Allscott Heath v Sentinel; Shelton v Quatt; Wellington v Worfield; Madeley v Frankton; Newport v Ludlow (postponed).