SIMON Booth believes his Farnworth side will be better than last year when they won the Premiership title.

But the Lavender Road captain knows, despite that, it is going to be difficult to retain the trophy.

The league season kicks off tomorrow in the Anthony Axford Bolton Cricket League Premiership and Association divisions – both of which look wide open.

In the Premiership most observers would regard any seven of of the 10 teams as having a serious chance of winning the league – without doubt signalling the most competitive division for many years.

“We feel we underachieved a bit last year,” said Booth.

“Our numbers were not as high as they should have been and we feel a few of us could do better this season.

“We have secured the services of a new pro in Noman Ali who will arrive in time for Saturday’s game, and apart from that there aren’t any changes really.

“He’s a current first-class player and and I think he will scored more runs than last year’s pro and overall he’ll bet a better yield with bat and ball.

“I got my lowest number of runs for five or six years last year which I would hope to improve on, Danny Higham had a good year for us and he will get better.

“Westhoughton will be gutted they let him go because he is a quality player, and Ross Sutton did well for us last year and he is still only young.

“So if our own lads do better than last year and with a better pro we should do better.

“But this is going to be a hard season to win it because everybody has looked like they have brought new faces in which is good.

“There are a few clubs who have splashed the cash and if they don’t win it it will be failure.

“Horwich have splashed out and look strong on paper.

“Kearsley have a good pro and a good side. Bradshaw I’m not sure about, their pro will probably be the best pro in the league – he’s a phenomenal cricketer – and if he does what he can they’ll be up there.

“When Farnworth Social Circle get their pro they’ll be a good side. They play hard and have matchwinners and are always there or thereabouts.

“Walkden on paper are a proper side but we’ll have to see how they play. If all their players do well they’ll be formidable.”

Farnworth begin their campaign tomorrow at home to Westhoughton, two teams who had contrasting fortunes in the ECB National Knockout last Sunday.

While the Howfeners were comfortably disposing of Northern Premier League side Leyland, Farnworth lost to Greater Manchester League club Astley and Tyldesley in a heated tie.

It was a better day for Booth’s boys 24 hours earlier when they won an opening-day derby with Social Circle in the Peter Stafford Trophy group stage.

One area Booth cannot see his club – and many more – being boosted by in the future is with the recruitment of overseas amateurs.

He would love to see quality overseas players in every team for the benefit they bring to the standard of cricket and in introducing local players to different cultures.

But he says the strict Home Office rules relating to what constitutes an overseas amateur are making it virtually impossible to sign one.

“Overseas amateurs are a waste of time now,” he said.

“I think we should scrap them. You simply can’t get them here now.

“All this pathway nonsense has spoiled it for me because the standard of the BCL could have been a lot higher with them.

“It should be simple – you are either a pro or an amateur.”

Tomorrow’s Premiership fixtures

Bradshaw v Kearsley, Daisy Hill v Farnworth SC, Farnworth v Westhoughton, Horwich RMI v Walkden, Lostock v Atherton.