THE York and District Senior League will start the 2001 season with a new title following a sponsorship deal which sees York-based estate agents Hunters replace Costcutters Supermarkets, who have sponsored the league for ten seasons.

The new season also heralds a further expansion, with three new clubs bringing the league membership to a record 48 clubs. With four second elevens also being admitted, the fifth division will operate with 17 clubs with each playing the other 16 teams once and four teams twice.

This is a one-season arrangement as three more sides are to be admitted in 2002, which will allow the bottom division to split into two divisions of ten teams each.

The season opens on Sunday when the President's challenge game, which was postponed from the end of last season due to the petrol shortage, will be hosted by league champions Easingwold with a 1.30 start.

Easingwold will be without skipper Martin Robinson, who is likely to miss much of the season after suffering a fractured leg in a skiing accident a few weeks ago, while league cup winners Dunnington will have new singings Collis King, John McHale and Hamid Khan in a strong line-up.

The league programme gets under way on Saturday, April 28 with Easingwold's hopes of retaining the Premier Division title severely hit by Robinson's injury. The side will be looking to overseas recruit Damon Smith to score a hatful of runs from his top four berth, as well as utilising his off breaks effectively.

Smith is one of 15 Australians who will be displaying their talents as 24 clubs have turned to overseas players to strengthen their squad in the absence of available local players of quality.

Thirsk's Barry Petty has undergone an operation on his knee during the winter and may well miss the first two or three games. Andrew Hawke will also be an absentee, but Melbourne-based Lincoln McCrae is returning to the Racecourse side.

Newly-promoted Ripon will be hoping that evergreen Paul Mason and Aussie Ryan Tempany can help them retain premier status.

Stillington's promotion to the first division last season owed much to the contributions from Collis King and Dwayne Field, who will both be missing from their line-up. The latter's overseas berth is to be filled by Pakistani Mohammed Hafeez, who will need to turn in match-winning performances on a regular basis if his side are to make their mark in the higher division