Captain Jacobi Robinson reckons the next crop of homegrown talent coming off the Somerset Cricket Club conveyorbelt are ready to push for regular starting places this season.

The West Enders endured a difficult campaign last summer and would have been relegated to the First Division had defending champions Young Men's Social Club beaten Cleveland.

But with new additions Cofield Robinson from Somerset Bridge and Police's Ricky Hoyte on board along with the club's emerging rookies, Robinson is confident his team can at least qualify for the Belco Cup.

"We're looking pretty good with the additions of Cofield Robinson and Ricky Hoyte," said Bermuda international Robinson. "The youngsters are coming through as well and are ready to play, so we're looking good at the moment in preparation for the season.

"I think it's more of a motivational thing for us from what we went through last year. We've been through it before, waiting until the last minute to pull it off, but we know we have to work hard on our game. With the additions of the new guys we have more balance in our team. That was the missing link for us last season."

The off-season has seen a lot of teams reshuffle their squads and many big named players switching allegiances. No team more than Willow Cuts who picked up three Bermuda internationals. Somerset's tenants will surely be getting more attention than them, something that Robinson is fine with.

"Cuts have picked up quality players but whether they can all work together remains to be seen," said Somerset's Cup Match skipper. "Just because you pick up three quality players doesn't mean you will win the league.

"But they have a good team, they certainly will be a team to be reckoned with and just like them everyone else will come out hard and will be looking to win the league.

"A team like Rangers have lost Malachi but they picked up Traddie Simpson and Jason Simons, two players that when combined can be as good as what they lost.

Robinson said he has no problem unleashing his young charges this summer and tipped a few of them to be in the reckoning for Cup Match.

Bermuda youth internationals Shaquille Jones, Joshua Gilbert, and Justin Corday are just a few of the Somerset rookies waiting to get their chance to carry the club back to the summit of domestic cricket.

"You always look to win the league but if we don't then at least we want to make the Belco Cup. You have to strive for something in the season and I believe we have the team to do it.

"Our youngsters have come on in leaps and bounds over recent years. They are ready to take the place of some of our older players if they aren't careful.

"They are not only ready to play in the league, but also Cup Match.

"These guys are hungry and want to play. They're looking to take my spot and the spot of any others who think they can slip up and get away with it."