FINCHAMPSTEAD will go into the new Home Counties Premier Cricket League season this weekend with a much-changed side.

The biggest blow was seeing skipper Dan Marles join league rivals High Wycombe as he had been with the club since a youngster.

South African seamer Jandre Coetzee, who had taken 80 wickets in his two seasons as their overseas player, is not returning, while fellow opening bowler Matt Carter has moved to Australia.

The 2016 league champions knew a few of their talented youngsters were heading for university and hopefully they will rejoin the club in the summer.

But other players have left for new clubs with Reading appearing to benefit the most despite the fact they have been relegated to the Thames Valley League.

Berkshire batsman Billy Rogers, wicketkeeper Sukhi Kang and spinner Max Uttley have all joined the Sonning Lane club.

Lincolnshire batting star Conrad Louth, having moved into the area to work, had said he was joining Finchampstead and has been in the club’s nets. However, Slough confirmed this week that Louth has now joined them.

So new first-team skipper Dan Lincoln has been particularly busy in getting his new-look team together.

They start the league season on Saturday (11.30am) with a home 50/50 game against Thame Town, who finished runners-up to Aston Rowant in Division Two last season.

Wokingham, last year’s TVL champions, get their HCPL Division Two campaign under way with a visit to Chesham, who finished third in the table last season.

The Oaks have been recruiting during the winter with “seven or eight” potential first and second team players joining them.

Eversley start their Division 2a campaign at home to OMT, while in Division 3a, Hurst are home to Royal Ascot.

Bracknell host Wokingham 3rds in Division 5b, with the opening four rounds of fixtures played with the win-lose format.

  • BERKSHIRE begin their Unicorns T20 campaign against Shropshire in a double-header at Wargrave on Sunday, before playing Buckinghamshire twice at Amersham on Bank Holiday Monday.