The Bermuda Cricket Board has officially released the player transfers for the 2014 season. Nineteen players have moved on to a different club in hope of a fresh start. Today I will take a closer look at each team in the Premier Division to see if any club gained a significant advantage from players transferring.

Bailey’s Bay, Cleveland, Somerset, Southampton, St David’s, St George’s and Willow Cuts are the teams that will form the Premier Division this year. Each team will play each other twice, home and away.

Last season, Bailey’s Bay had a rather mediocre season by their standards. However, this season you can guarantee there will be a massive difference because they have made three signings to bolster their team. One of the three players transferring to Bay is young Delray Rawlins, who is in England at present and is one to watch for the future. He bats in the same manner as former Bailey’s Bay hero Noel Gibbons — with class and elegance. His left-arm spin will add variety to their bowling attack. Bay will be hard to beat and they are one of my favourites to win the league.

Cleveland have been struck hard by the transfer window, as they lost two very reliable performers in Chris Douglas and Makai Young. With no players transferring in, they will have to rely on their youth. Last year they claimed a Belco Cup spot with a top-four finish, but this year they may find it a lot tougher. Douglas is one of Bermuda’s most prolific batsmen and his runs will be hard to replace. They will need their senior players to be at their best if they are to maintain their status in the Premier Division.

Southampton Rangers have been busy in the transfer market. Rangers managed to secure the services of Maurice Lowe, James Celestine and Vernon Eve. While Lowe and Eve will play their role within the team, it is Celestine whom teams will fear most. He has a reputation of tearing bowling attacks to pieces. If he finds form on a small Southampton Oval field, that could spell trouble for opposing teams in the division.

Somerset did very little in the transfer window: one player in, one player went out. Out went their most promising young batsman, Shaquille Jones, and in comes one of the most promising young fast, bowlers Christion Gibbons, previously of Southampton Rangers.

Somerset’s bowling department looks like they may cause some teams a bit of trouble, but it will be scoring runs that they may find very difficult this year. They will have to find runs from somewhere if they are to survive the drop, but one thing you can be sure of is that they will not go down without a fight.

Champions St David’s will be tough to beat as usual. They have been rather quiet in the transfer window, with only Collin Stewart coming in and no players leaving. St David’s strength is in their bowling. Teams will have to figure a way to counter their potent bowling attack if they are to dethrone them.

Stewart will add depth to an already deep batting line-up, which, by their standards, failed to live up to their capabilities last year. They are still the team to beat, but they may find it harder to repeat as champions, although I predict that a top-four place is guaranteed.

St George’s benefitted the most from the transfer period, as they have four new faces. Zion Zmith, Makai Young, Keshun Smith and Swayne Campbell are the new men on the block. St George’s are in a rebuilding stage and these four highly talented young players will add much needed depth and quality to their team. They were the surprise team last year when they finished fifth in the league. This season they could find it a lot tougher, but a lot depends on the availability of Oronde Bascome, Onias Bascome and Christian Burgess, who are overseas.

Willow Cuts did some shrewd business in the transfer window. Somehow they managed to grab Chris Douglas right out of the hands of St David’s and lure him back west. Along with Douglas, Cuts also managed to acquire the services of Shaquille Jones. The latter is very gifted and will bring explosive batting to an already deadly Cuts line-up. His ability to bowl left-arm spin could be vital as the season goes on. Could this be the year that Willow Cuts finally win the title after several years of coming close?

The Premier Division promises to be exciting this year as any team on their day could beat the other. However, looking at all the teams, I will be surprised if Bailey’s Bay, St David’s, Southampton Rangers and Willow Cuts are not battling for the title, as they just look too strong on paper. It would be awesome if we could see one of the other teams break into the top four and one of the big teams battling for survival for a change.

It is just a matter of weeks now before the season starts. With so much to play for, teams need to intensify their training if they are to be a force in this ever-competitive Premier Division.

Quote of the week: “To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.”

– Picabo Street