With the league cricket season beginning in just two weeks, Unsworth Cricket Club are well underway with their preparations for the first match of the year.

The first team will need to improve on last year’s efforts to mount a promotion challenge this time around and the second team face a new challenge, playing in the top division after achieving promotion last season.

Last year’s professional Chris Williams returns this week from a season in Australia with Victoria-based club, Bentleigh CC. Williams impressed last season for Unsworth, taking 86 league wickets and was soon re-signed for the 2014 season, taking on the captaincy in the process.

With him he brings an Australian overseas amateur, Jeff Keyt. Keyt is a top order batsman who will hope to bring a new dimension to the Unsworth line up with his aggressive style of play. Together, he and Chris helped their club to a T20 trophy and sixth place in the highly-competitive Victorian Turf Association.

In William’s absence the Dragons have been hard at work at home, training at indoor facilities for the last 10 weeks. Outdoor training begins next week in time to prepare the players for two pre-season warm up matches in Lancaster the week prior to the season start.

With new faces and higher standards, Unsworth are looking to get their season off to a flyer.