Reigning champions Darlington will have it all to do to retain their crown when the season gets underway this afternoon.

Quakers, who deservedly claimed the title after finishing as runners-up in each of the previous two campaigns, have lost several key players over the winter - most notably Jonny Barnes, one of the most successful players in the League’s history.

Barnes was by far and away the leading bowler last summer, capturing 77 wickets at just 8.28 apiece, but he has decided on a change of scenery after a couple of decades of dominating NYSD batsmen, and has joined Mainsforth in the DCL.

Also on the way out is championship-winning skipper Peter Armstrong who has followed his heart by returning to home club Norton following their return to Premier cricket.

With Yorkshire’s Dan Hodgson now living in Leeds and deciding to play his club cricket nearer to home, new skipper Matty Brown will have his work cut out. But he will have last season’s NYSD Player of the Year Liam Coates at his disposal, and quality batsman Paul Freary has moved from NEPL club Blaydon.

Richmondshire have been the dominant force for the last three years. Champions in 2012 and 2013, they were runners-up last time out, but they, too, have seen several top men exit Hurgill Road.

Shanuka Dissanayake is something of a legend in Richmond, having spent 12 seasons there as the overseas professional, and he has taken his considerable all-round skills to Park Drive.

Joining him at Hartlepool is Lewis Stabler, the former Yorkshire Academy paceman, while another top performer, James Clarkson, has moved to Normanby Hall as English pro.

The exits leave a sizeable hole to fill for skipper Gary Pratt. He has gone for a known quantity in the shape of Toby Bulcock who plays for the Cumberland Minor Counties side which Pratt captains. Bulcock, 24 and a former Lancashire age group player, has featured in the Unicorns representative side and is a useful all-rounder specializing in left arm spin.

Another boost is the return of keeper Kevin Forbes after missing last season through illness and injury, and with an abundance of young talent the Dalesmen are confident a more youthful and athletic team will challenge for honours.

And the chasing pack look to be closing in on the leading pair, with several strengthening their squad - it is likely that this year’s title race will be one of the most keenly contested in modern times.

One club to watch out for are Barnard Castle. They broke through the glass ceiling last year by winning major silverware for the first time in their 182-year history, and confidence oozes out of Vere Road.

Ebullient skipper James Finch has first-class world record holder Aamer Sajjad back for a third year.

Sajjad has enjoyed a wonderful winter in Pakistan where he starred for WAPDA in leading them to the national 50-over championship, and he is expected to pile more misery on NYSD bowlers.

Durham player Josh Bousfield has returned to his home club after a spell with Stockton, while Aussie amateur Josh Mason also looks to have decent pedigree playing at a good level in Perth.

After several years in a relative wilderness, Guisborough have splashed out by bringing former Durham, Notts and Hampshire man Karl Turner to Fountains Garth, and he should guarantee them runs. He was NEPL champions South North’s leading batter in 2014, setting a new league highest score record in the process with an innings of 209.

The Priorymen’s other new faces include Chris Nicholls, back as English pro after one season at Marske, former Yorkshire player Dan Conway, who has joined from Saltburn, and promising youngster Connor Whitelock who is being monitored by Durham.

Guisborough begin with a home derby against Great Ayton today, and it will be interesting to see how the visitors fare without their influential South African Nick Hendrie who has been such a batting powerhouse in the last few summers.

Whalid Ghauri has taken Hendrie’s place as batting pro after moving from Boro, while the club are hoping for big things from Aussie amateur Barry Bester, a grade cricketer from Brisbane who pings the ball down.

It is difficult to assess the prospects of the Teesside clubs following significant changes in personnel, but Marton are now a lot more positive after some initial despondency following an exodus of players. Ex-skipper Chris Veazey joined teammate Neil Russell in moving to Redcar, Lee Hodgson went to Marske, and Sam Jones, last year’s overseas amateur, has remained in his home country.

But the tide turned with the signing of Hasantha Fernando as overseas pro, the Sri Lankan having played at the very highest level with two Tests and seven ODI’s to his credit for his home country.

Marton also pounced to secure the services of prolific batsman Alex Roberts upon his return to the UK after four years in Australia. With highly-rated young keeper Jack Hardy joining from Darlington, and Jack Ward in from Blackhall, new skipper Chris Simpson is a much happier man.

At Acklam Park, Middlesbrough have three new boys on parade.

South African youngster Stephen Reeves is joined by Aussie David Embleton and the explosive Omar Shahid, the latter returning to his home club after several years on the North-East club circuit.

Normanby Hall’s return to the top-flight is embellished by the arrival of Sachithra Serasinghe, a Sri Lankan with a first-class batting average of 44, and all-rounder James Clarkson from Richmond.

On the coast Marske look to have some class players in their ranks. Saeed Bin Nasir, 35, a former Pakistan Under-19 international, joins Lee Hodgson and New Zealander Ullrich Bishoff at Windy Hill Lane, the young Kiwi fresh from recent national success with Auckland Under-19s.

Neighbours Redcar are led by Dale Metcalfe, with the incoming Veazey and Russell augmented by new overseas man, Usman Arshad, who boasts a useful first-class batting record.

Seaton Carew have brought in Sanjaya Rodrigo’s brother, Chandimanthu, who enjoyed an excellent season in the Surrey Championship in 2014, while Hartlepool can’t wait to enjoy the skills of Dissanayake and Stabler alongside their other main newcomer, John Watson from Saltburn.

Stokesley look to have obtained a useful player in Indian Shrikant Wagh. He won’t make today’s opener at Marton following visa delays, but young Australian Jack Craig will debut after being recommended by James Weighell, just back from a successful winter Down Under.

For Norton today’s match at Acklam Park is quite an emotional game, as it’s been 16 years in the making.

The club are back in the NYSD Premier Division after a journey via the NEPL, through the Durham Senior League, and then back into the third tier of NYSD cricket, after which two successive promotions followed.

Also returning are a number of their former players, after answering a call of the heart.

The talented Symington brothers, Marc and Craig, have returned after many successful seasons in the region, while former Quakers captain Peter Armstrong is also back on home soil.

With Andy Parr joining from neighbours Stockton skipper Matty Thomas looks to have enough quality at his disposal to make a real go of his side’s return to the big time.