TEN trophies in the past five years have kept the dust from gathering upon NETHERFIELD'S display shelves and the club will be aiming for a fifth championship in six years when the Northern League's 50th Golden Jubilee season gets under way this Saturday.

South African Pieter Strydom has re-signed as professional after an impressive first season and is looking forward to challenging the new club batting record he set last year.

The Border captain topped the averages on 77.20 with his haul of 1,158 runs (1,461 in all competitions) and his left-arm spin bowling yielded a telling 45 wickets.

Netherfield, who finished 32 points clear, rely on a core of proven players under the captaincy of skipper Grahame Clarke, but lose wicketkeeper Jimmy Moyes (on a teacher training year at Cambridge and in the University squad) and all-rounder Stuart Horne (back at Durham University after a gap year).

It means that ex-Cumberland skipper Simon Dutton will be wearing the gloves again this year with Tommy Prime deputising when and where necessary.

New to the squad this year will be the experienced John Eccles, an off-spinner who can bat, who has switched his allegiance from More-cambe.

Eighteen-year-old John Mason, the captain of the Sedbergh School XI, also joins the ranks, although his school commitments will mean he will be unavailable on Saturdays until June.

Mason, who lives at Old Hutton, has already represented Cumberland and should be an interesting prospect to watch at this level.

Injury dogged pace bowler Scott Clement last year but he is reported much fitter to do himself justice in the usual formidable opening attack with David Wheatman.

Opening batsman Craig Walmsley switches from football and there is a feeling the strong batting line-up has the potential to do better than last year.

One intriguing question is will the big-hitting Clarke actually be walking out as low as No.

7 in the order? It's a possibility that the other clubs will surely not relish.