TYNEDALE again head into the new season looking to youth to push them up the table.

Having won the Northumberland and Tyneside Senior Cricket League two years ago and finished in the top five in 2015, there are hopes the youngsters at the Hexham club will again produce a top half finish.

They have drafted in the services of promising teenagers Sam Mannion from Tyne Valley rivals Stocksfield and Ross Sinclair, a seam bowling all-rounder from Newcastle, to help with the cause.

The experienced Hexham Leazes duo of Ben Griffiths and Paul Newton have also joined, expected to feature heavily in the second team under mate Richard Darling who remains captain.

A big loss to the first team will be opening batsman John Meadows, the club's leading runs scorer in recent years, as he was opted to sign for  Swalwell.

They face a tough start as fixtures against champions Shotley Bridge, Swalwell, Ashington and Leadgate, all of whom finished above Tynedale last season, make up the first five Saturdays after the opening day trip to newly promoted Newcastle City.

Tynedale's strength lies in their bowling attack and new boy Sinclair has a good pedigree. Two years ago, as a 16-year-old, he produced figures of 3-22 and then hit 150 not out in a second team fixture!

Providing a penetrative and variable attack will be Curtis Lucas, Tom Cant, Callum Barnes, William Dagg, Josh Renton, Matthew Percival, Richard Brookes and Dale Leadbitter.

Tynedale will be wary of their worrying trend of top order collapses late in the season, and will hope that was only a temporary blip.

Tom Cant again captains the team and is sure to keep spirits up with his mixture of ruminative and executive persuasion, while Connor Fellowes will open the batting.

Tynedale start the season with a trip to Newcastle City on Saturday, with the seconds battling it out at Priors Flat.