Western Stars have picked up five players and Southampton Rangers four during a quiet transfer period ahead of the upcoming cricket season.

As the transfer period closed last Friday, only 17 players sought new clubs, with Stars, who will have former captain Arnold Manders as coach, picking up returning players Tre Manders, Jekon Edness and Jacobi Robinson. The Royal Gazette recently reported that the trio were planning to move to St John’s Field and yesterday the list released by the Bermuda Cricket Board confirmed they had followed through with the switch.

Both Edness and Robinson join from Somerset Cricket Club, whom they helped to gain promotion back to the Premier Division, while Manders moves back to his roots from Bailey’s Bay after a few seasons there. Stars have also signed spinner Phillip Thomas and seam bowler Wilbur Burt from Devonshire Recreation Club.

Former champions Southampton Rangers were the other active club. Ian Armstrong, who spent last season at Western Stars, is returning to Southampton Oval, while Dean Stephens has joined them from relegated Willow Cuts. Also moving to Rangers are Devonshire Recreation Club’s Lamont Brangman, son of coach Ricky Brangman, and Dante Wellman from PHC.

St David’s, the league champions, will have Oronde Bascome in their ranks after he joined them from neighbours St George’s, while Ankoma Cannonier has returned to Lord’s, both having played one season at St George’s.

Bascome, the former St George’s Cup Match captain, had only just returned to Wellington Oval after a season out of the glare of the Annual Classic with Southampton, who clinched the title during his stay in 2015.

Lionel Cann, a former St David’s captain, is heading to Wellington Oval to play at least one season for St George’s as he nears the end of his career.

Cann, like Bascome a former Cup Match captain who was recalled for the Annual Classic last year, joins from Warwick where he was player-coach. Eugene Ball moves to St George’s from Cleveland.

Somerset, promoted last season, have picked up talented Willow Cuts batsman Solomon Burrows as well as Jade Morrissey from PHC. Two Flatts players, Christopher Dailey and Paul Carr Harvey, are heading to Devonshire Rec.

Players who missed the deadline have two opportunities to seek late transfers: the first expires at the start of the season for a fee of $150, and the second at the midpoint of the season for a fee of $200, with eligibility predicated on players having featured in three matches or fewer for their present clubs.

• To read the Bermuda Cricket Board’s transfer policy, click on the PDF under “Related Media”