Minnows Clipstone CC ready to enjoy the Nottinghamshire Premier League ride

Promoted as runners-up to the top flight behind Division Two champions Collingham, Clipstone, under captain Chris Fletcher, know they are already favourites to be relegated ahead of this weekend's opening fixtures.

“For us to even be there is like Mansfield Town being in the Premier League,” said president and club stalwart Lee Wilson.

“It's unreal. No one would have picked us to go up last year when you look at the clubs we were up against.

“Going into this league we are up against the national champions of the year before last in Cuckney plus teams like Cavaliers – mega players and mega budgets.

“So we are just going to enjoy it as we have nothing to lose.

“We are everybody's favourites to get relegated – and if we don't get relegated we will have had a pretty good season.

“Our first game is Cuckney away on Saturday, so it couldn't really get any harder.

“You have got to love it, relish it and take it on.

“Cuckney are expected to beat us so all the pressure is on Cuckney.

“Every team we play at this level, the pressure is on them.

"There is no pressure on us to do anything other than lose to these sides.

“We will try to beat them - and I am sure we will beat a few of them.”

Clipstone have picked up what they hope to be an overseas gem in West Indian batsman Demari Prince.

“Demari is coming over from the Leeward Islands to play for us,” said Wilson.

“We have a few contacts in the Caribbean and we will see how he is.

“He's not a pro or anything, just a club player – an overseas amateur - and we will see what he gives us. He is within our little budget.

“We'd like to thank Mike Staton of Staton Mortgage & Protection Specialists whose sponsorship has helped get him - without Mike we couldn't have done it.

“Hemings Patel, who has played first class in India, will also be with us again too.

“He is a spin bowler whose wife is at Loughborough University and I expect a lot of clubs to be after him after this season.

“But we won't have any pros playing for us. We are all club players and we will give it a go.”

After finishing third in the table and losing their ECB National Club Championship crown last year, Cuckney will be fired up to get back to their all-conquering best.

They welcome new faces Eliot Callis and Yuvraj Singh and vice-captain Tom Ullyott said: “Eliot is another ex-Worksop College lad.

“It seems like the majority of our team is very Worksop College-orientated, but it is a very good link for us being a tiny village.

“Worksop is probably our closest town and we don't really get anyone from a big city catchment area like Nottingham. We are a bit too far to drive.

“Eliot knows our coach and some of our players and has moved back up here from London. He has fitted in quite nicely over the winter and will bat in our top three.

“And we have an overseas player in Yuvraj Singh – not the same Yuvraj Singh that hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over – but a young up and coming Indian cricketer who looks handy.

“He is an all-rounder but we have signed him mainly as a bowler – he is a seamer.

“Overseas players are often a bit of a gamble in many ways, you never know what to expect. He gets here in a week or so and we are looking forward to it.

“We feel like we are in a good space, one year older and one year wiser.”

On the opener with Clipstone, he added: “It is a new local derby for us and should be interesting.

"They play with their heart on their chest and like to get about people, which is fair enough and it has worked very well for them. So we are looking forward to it.

“They have played against our second team in recent years so plenty of our players know plenty of their players.

“From their point of view it's probably a good time to be playing one of the better teams rather than in mid-summer when everyone is in full flight.”

Welbeck have bolstered their ranks as they look to build on last year's return to the top division in which they successfully avoided the drop, and Jack Atherton will take over from Richard Stroh as first team captain.

They have their former South African star man Jean Du Plessis returning and have set a target of top four this time around.

“I have too much on my plate this year so I have stepped down as captain, but continue to play in the first team and remain as head coach,” said Stroh.

“The good news is that recruitment went well over the winter.

“We have signed Mat Roberts from Sheffield Collegiate. He has plenty of Premier League experience as well as the coaching side too. He is a good all-rounder to have on board.

“We have also signed a young quick bowler – 20-year-old Zak Berridge from Clumber Park. He is one to look out for in the future.

“And we have signed two pros/overseas players in Jean Du Plessis and James Hayes.

“We had Jean two years ago and he scored the most runs in the league that year and helped us get promotion. We are looking forward to him coming over in the next three weeks.

“We have also signed quick bowler James Hayes from Notts and he will play this weekend. But our squad is not completed yet.

Berridge took 60 wickets for Clumber Park last year and captain Atherton said: “Zak is a dynamic young player with an abundance of talent.

“He is a great addition to our squad and I’m excited to watch him progress as he develops under our coaches and tests himself at a higher standard.

“James Hayes will join us whilst continuing with his Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club duties and his pace and swing bowling ability will add firepower to our bowling attack.”

Welbeck’s opener on Saturday could not be much tougher as they host champions Cavaliers & Carrington.

Stroh said: “How is that for a first game – playing the champions?

“Jean Du Plessis won't be available, but everyone else will.

“Being promoted, we were under no illusions how tough the Premier League top division was going to be last year.

“It was a tough year for us. But having strengthened, and with the experience of playing Premier League cricket last year, I think the boys are up for it this year and at worst we want to finish mid-table.

“But we want to push for the top four this year to be honest.”

In Division Two Mansfield Hosiery Mills, after a fifth place finish, will again try to regain their Premier League status in a division in which they will face Cuckney's second team.

SATURDAY'S FIXTURES

PREMIER LEAGUE: Cuckney v Clipstone, Welbeck v Cavaliers, Attenborough v Notts & Arnold Amateur, Collingham v Wollaton, Hucknall v Kimberley Institute, Plumtree v Papplewick & Linby. DIVISION TWO: Gedling & Sherwood v Cuckney II, Kimberley II v Clifton Village, Mansfield HM v West Bridgfordians, Cavaliers II v Radcliffe, Gedling Colliery v Anston, Notts Unity Casuals v Caythorpe.