CAW to start the season under strict COVID-19 regulations

Captain: Ross Dixon

Gains: James McNeil (Melb Uni), Mahesh Kodamullage (Preston), Blake Nikolic (Box Hill), Jake Hindmarsh (Wagga), Chris Wheeler (return to sport), Matt Shipard (Corowa)

Losses: Innocent Kaia (can't return yet due to COVID restrictions), Louis Botes (England)

Leading run-scorer last season: Innocent Kaia (702 at 63.8)

Leading wicket-taker: Ross Dixon (37 at 15.6)

Surprise packets: Kade Brown, Alex Popko

Prospects: Snapped a 12-year finals drought, but lost the unloseable against North in the preliminary, losing 10-71 to fall a run short. The loss of the comp's best bat in Kaia and a top five wicket-taker in Botes are crucial. However, McNeil is a comparable swap with Kaia, who the club still isn't resigned to losing, while Kodamullage is a former Sri Lankan first-class spinner.

Club comment (coach Luke Styles): It might be different to call them surprise packets because they've been terrific players, but normally with 'Pup' (Kade Brown) you wouldn't see him until the training session before the first game because of footy commitments, but he's been to all the sessions, and 'Poppers' (Popko) is really excited to have his cousin (James McNeil) here.

Last season: 7th (five wins)

Captain: Nat Sariman

Gains: Zac Simmonds (back from injury)

Losses: Cam McCormack (stepping back from first grade)

Leading run-scorer: Dave Farrell (541 at 38.6)

Leading wicket-taker: Lachie McMillan (24 at 21.1)

Surprise packet: Kaiden Withers

Prospects: Had five less wins than sixth-placed Tallangatta, so that's a lot to make up. However, the club has 'picked up' two Riverina reps with Drew Cameron only playing five 50-over games before undergoing a knee reconstruction, while off-spinner Zac Simmonds didn't play after suffering a football injury.

Club comment (co-coach Drew Cameron - Dave Farrell is fellow co-coach): With the extra season into our kids (Casey George, David Perkins etc) and they can believe they're A grade cricketers, they don't feel intimidated.

Last season: 4th after district regular season, lost in prelim to Kiewa

Captain: Daniel Athanitis

Gains: Ben Mitchell (Sydney)

Losses: Luke Heagney (Lavington)

Leading run-scorer: Matt Grantham (485 at 30.3)

Leading wicket-taker: Luke Backhouse (26 at 14.9)

Surprise packet: Nick Grant (former Wagga Sloggers)

Prospects: It's the first time since 2013-14 a new club has entered provincial level. Fell in last season's district preliminary final and was the most miserly attack, conceding only 1983 runs, and rated second in wickets lost (110) so that indicates the club bowls tight and doesn't give its wickets away easily.

Club comment (coach Jarryd Hatton): All of our players are definitely capable of playing provincial, skill-wise, but I think the biggest thing will be developing our knowledge, mindset and game plan against those top sides.

Last season: 4th after regular season, fell to Albury in semi-final (1st week)

Captain: Brett Davies

Gains: Michael Westland (normally based in Melbourne, likely to play a handful of games), Jarryd Weeding (year off)

Losses: Romario Greaves (West Indies)

Leading run-scorer: Luke Brunckhorst (395 at 23.2)

Leading wicket-taker: Romario Greaves (33 at 16.9)

Surprise packet: Ryan de Vries

Prospects: Didn't play finals in 2018-19, so to finish 11-7 last season, without too many recruits, was a sterling effort. However, import Romario Greaves isn't there, so there's 33 wickets and 338 runs the Crows have to find.

Club comment (captain Brett Davies): We haven't really seen the best of Ryan de Vries yet, he had some injuries a couple of years ago and last year he had patches of good stuff, but he's big, strong and quick and I'm looking forward to what damage he can do.

Last season: 2nd after regular season, lost in prelim to Wodonga

Captain: Michael Galvin

Gains: Matt Sharp (season off), Dave Tassell (season off due to injury), Chris Galvin (Northern District, Sydney), Tom Hargreave (returning to game), Alex McMaster (Walbundrie)

Losses: Darcy I'Anson (Brock-Burrum), Brad Dalbosco (year off), Rory Jenkins (Culcairn)

Leading run-scorer: Matt Tom (609 at 40.6)

Leading wicket-taker: Ryan Brown (26 at 21.8)

Surprise packet: Tom Hargreave

Prospects: Filthy at how meekly it bowed out in straight sets last year. Finished second by three and a half wins, but collapsed for only 85 against North Albury and then 126 against Wodonga. Have lost two of their top three wicket-takers in I'Anson and Dalbosco, but look well in advance picking up opening batsman Sharp, rep quick Tassell, etc.

Club comment (coach Daryl Tuffey): I saw Tom Hargreave batting in the nets and he looked fantastic, a lot of the guys rate him from either playing youth cricket with him or in first grade when he played previously.

Last season: 10th (one win)

Captain: Zac Barrenechea

Gains: Shoaib Shaikh (Mooroopna), Cam Nottle (Greta)

Losses: Tarisai Musakanda (left mid-season), Sam Grant (England)

Leading run-scorer: Sam Grant (484 at 28.5)

Leading wicket-taker: Sam Grant (23 at 21.5)

Surprise packets: Josh Wright, Aaron Green

Prospects: Sam Grant is irreplaceable. Not only did he produce the most runs and wickets, club president Chris Green says he's been the best import and that's an enormous compliment. Shaikh is a former Indian Premier League batsman and assistant coach for the next three years, so tremendous responsibility will fall on him to be the next gun import batsman.

Club comment (coach Akki Murthy): Shoaib is 33 years old, so the maturity level is now there. Last year we were lacking that experience and blokes will now need to bat around him.

Last season: 5th after regular season, made grand final

Captain: Ryan Addison

Gains: Tendai Power Maruma (coach)

Losses: George McCormick (England), Greg Daniel (time off)

Leading run-scorer: Ash Borella (687 at 40.4)

Leading wicket-taker: Jake Burge (38 at 13.66)

Surprise packet: Cal Langlands

Prospects: George McCormick will be a loss with the new ball as he claimed 23 wickets, while Greg Daniel is one of the best players of the past 20 years. That's two outstanding players, but coach Tendai Power Maruma has played first-class level, so he should be elite.

Club comment (president Dale Paddle): Haydyn Roberts is as fit as he's been, certainly at our club, and in the practice match last week, he was quicker than last year. I expect an unreal contest between him and (Albury star recruit James) McNeil (on Saturday).

Last season: 8th (five wins)

Captain: Dean Nicholson

Gains: Darcy Smith (North Albury), Eddie Keogh (year off)

Losses: Jarryd Hatton (Corowa), Luke Restall (year off)

Leading run-scorer: Mitch O'Brien (408 at 31.4)

Leading wicket-taker: Luke Evans (28 at 20.4)

Surprise packet: Ben Jones

Prospects: The Patties will do exceptionally well to play finals given leading wicket-taker Luke Evans is stuck in England, while one of the association's best bats of the past two decades in Luke Restall is having a year off. Despite that, runs weren't a problem last season, surprisingly finishing second (and just 39 behind minor premiers Wodonga). Stopping them was the issue, conceding 3559 (wooden spooners New City was next on 3205).

Club comment (captain Dean Nicholson): There's a few blokes who might not have had the season they would have liked, myself included, so we'll need them to get another five to 10 runs per innings, giving us an extra 30 runs.

Last season: 6th after regular season, beaten by Wodonga in semi by one wicket (1st week)

Captain: Matt Armstrong

Gains: Alessandro Belci (Beechworth), Harris Lee (Melbourne), Torquil McKillop (returned to area), Curtis Stephens (Melbourne), Nathan Thompson (time off)

Losses: Sahib Malhotra (India), Matt Oswell (England), Fraser Ellis (injury-Melbourne)

Leading run-scorer: Oliver Willett (576 at 33.9)

Leading wicket-taker: Matt Armstrong (31 at 15.8)

Surprise packet: Harris Lee

Club comment (captain-coach Matt Armstrong): The fastest way to improve is improving your fitness and fielding, so we'll be a much fitter and better fielding unit than we were. Obviously losing three high-end players makes a difference to every team, so we just need to spread the load with runs and wickets.

Last season: Premiers

Captain: Tom Johnson

Gains: Theo Valeri (Griffith)

Losses: Jack Craig (Melbourne Cricket Club)

Leading run-scorer: Bob Jackson (678 at 61.6)

Leading wicket-taker: Cam Suidgeest (43 at 13.7)

Surprise packet: Michael Grohmann

Prospects: When you lose the association's Cricketer of the Year in Jack Craig, you expect to take a major hit, but Griffith's Theo Valeri can open the bowling and bat in the top order. Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions, the Bulldogs won't see the Griffith-based Valeri until round three when he can play in NSW.

Club comment (coach Tom Johnson): Michael Grohmann's leg-spinning is coming along nicely and his batting keeps coming on in leaps and bounds and it will be good to see him blossom.

Last season: 9th (5-13)

Captain: Greg Roberts

Gains: Matthew Pearce (Beechworth)

Losses: Leigh Clarke (retirement)

Leading run-scorer: Jesse Griffiths (357 at 21)

Leading wicket-taker: Jonathan Carson (22 at 20)

Surprise packet: Kane Scott

Prospects: After having a mortgage on the wooden spoon for years, Raiders were one of the feel good stories of the year, claiming five wins, including a stunning upset over powerhouse North Albury. Raiders have put their faith in the juniors and the rep sides are littered with their youngsters.

Club comment (co-coach Leigh Clarke, along with Nathan Scott and Stewart Pearce (both Beechworth): It's a different club to what it was a few years ago, the fact we can fill four sides now comfortably, we could fill five, and we've got a full complement of junior sides.

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