Willow Cuts are once again expected to be in the hunt for a first Premier Division title, but this season will also be one of rebuilding for the club, revealed Dexter Basden, the club’s former captain.

Cuts have a new captain in Malachi Jones and have made a couple of key signings with Shaquille Jones joining from neighbours Somerset and Chris Douglas returning after a season with Cleveland.

They will also be looking to push some of their youth players into the first team, including Basden’s son Joseph, a promising all-rounder who is also a member of the Bermuda Under-17 team, which plays in the First Division on Saturdays.

Basden Sr expects to play only the occasional game this season as he helps groom the club’s youngsters.

“Pre-season has been pretty good, Malachi Jones has stepped up as captain and will be helping with the coaching, too, along with Chris Douglas,” said Basden. “They are also helping out with the Player Development League team, but my focus is the under-14s because we have to keep that going.

“I have my son Joseph coming through who’s only 14 and I will probably play one or two games with him just to give him some guidance.

“We’re going to push our youngsters, we’ve got some who are too old for the under-14 side who are playing in the PDL and we will likely push them into the senior team two at a time.”

The 48-year-old former Somerset Cup Match captain produced a couple of valuable knocks for the team last season but realises his best years are behind him.

“There’s no sense me hanging around too long because I need to make space for the young guys,” he acknowledged.

“I’ve got Micah Simons coming through, Faheem Swan and Azar Morrissey who are playing in the PDL and I’m pretty sure Malachi is going to give them some Premier Division games.”

Cuts’ batting will be boosted considerably by the return of Douglas and the signing of Jones, both early order left-handers.

“Shaquille has come from Somerset and I think he’s one step away from representing the country and playing in Cup Match,” Basden said.

“Some guys, when they are playing for Somerset, get so close to getting into Cup Match and can’t seem to make the team.

“When they come down to Willow Cuts for a season or two, they seem able to get into Cup Match. Willow Cuts have produced a good number of Cup Match players over the last two decades. Hopefully we can get him over the hump.”

A league title still eludes Willow Cuts as does the Belco Cup, but they certainly seem to have a squad capable of challenging for trophies this season.

“For the last four years we have come second, third or fourth, never first, so obviously we’re trying to win a league title,” Basden admitted. “But our main goal is to push a few youngsters to get some experience from playing with Malachi and Chris and the other guys.

‘We’re taking every game serious, but we’re not making any predictions. Willow Cuts on any given day in the last 20 years can really play top level or not too good, depending which team shows up on the day.

“That’s how we are. Pushing some of the youngsters is our main goal, because over the last four years we’ve had players like George O’Brien, Chris, Malachi and Ricardo Brangman join us and a lot of our youngsters have been put to the side.

“This year we have to push them and let them get the exposure of playing with our international players.”

2013 position: Third

Captain: Malachi Jones

Transfers in: Chris Douglas (Cleveland), Shaquille Jones (Somerset).

Transfers out: None