Reigning champions Richmondshire, the dominant force over the last few years, have an amazing incentive to retain their crown, with the prospect of a trip to Abu Dhabi awaiting the leading Yorkshire side in this year’s competition.

If they were to win their fourth title in five seasons they would book a date at Headingley on September 17 where they would meet the champions of the Bradford League in the inaugural Yorkshire Premier Leagues championship semi-final.

The winner will fly to Abu Dhabi in October to contest a day/night final in the Sheik Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Billed as the biggest prize in club cricket, the honour of representing the NYSD will go to the highest-placed Yorkshire side in this year’s championship, irrespective of whether they are champions or not, so the Dalesmen in effect have two distinct targets – retention of the title, but failing that finishing top Tyke team.

They will be confident of being able to defend their status having retained the same line-up as in 2015, with the additional bonus of welcoming back Matthew Cowling following his two-year stint with NEPL side Brandon.

The skills of skipper Gary Pratt are well known, so much so that his 980 league runs last time out represented one of his more modest seasons in recent times. The ace in the champions pack was left arm spin king Toby Bulcock, Pratt’s Cumberland teammate. His 79 league wickets helped win many a game, and after also topping the national Minor Counties bowling rankings he was adjudged North East Cricketer of the Year after a return of 155 wickets for his two teams.

But while there will be a number of Yorkshire teams scrambling to topple the Dalesmen, their biggest threat could come from just up the road in Durham.

Barnard Castle, a close fourth in 2015, surprisingly released Aamer Sajjad after three seasons at Vere Road in which he scored over 3,000 runs, replacing him with another proven performer in Karl Turner.

The former Durham man played at Guisborough last year, and was one of only three players in the Premier Division to score over 1,000 league runs. He he also chipped in with some useful wickets and his bowling will provide additional depth to the Barney attack. Aussie amateur Lachlan Pfeffer, 25, a left-handed bat and wicket keeper who formerly played for Queensland Under-19s, is another new recruit, replacing fellow countryman Josh Mason as the overseas amateur.

Rivals Great Ayton and Stokesley finished second and third respectively in 2015, with the latter in the title running virtually all summer.

Stokesley were delighted when home-grown James Weighell made his first-class debut for Durham at the end of the season, and he will be one of their two professionals this time around, joined in the paid ranks by Doug Mulholland, a proven NYSD performer who in eight seasons at Feethams took over 600 wickets and scored almost 5,000 runs for the Quakers. Other arrivals include Andrew Liddle (Great Ayton) and Tom Preece (Seaton Carew) who are both back at to their former club, while Aussie Jack Craig returns after a fine debut season.

Ayton, the Kerridge Cup holders, have lost leading amateur bowler Michael Croft (Marton), as well as youngster Sam Harper (Middlesbrough). But they have brought in bags of experience in the shape of former Yorkshire duo Chris Allinson and Phil Holdsworth from Guisborough, while overseas amateur Parth Patel, an all-rounder, has arrived from New Zealand after an excellent season in Auckland Premier cricket.

There is a growing feeling that this could be Marske’s year as they have added to a stable squad that was not too far off the pace in finishing fifth last season. Former Yorkshire and Surrey man Lee Hodgson skippers for the first time, while prolific Pakistani batsman Saeed Bin Nasir returns, as does Kiwi Ullrich Boshoff.

Notable newcomers are Tom Urwin, who will keep wicket as well as feature with the bat, and young left arm spin prospect Faizan Hussain, the pair having moved from relegated Marton. The challenge for Marske, as ever, will be to winkle out opponents on the road of a pitch at Windy Hill Lane.

With the departure of Mulholland, Darlington have now lost all three of their deadly 2014 title winning bowling trio, but they have some useful additions to their squad to bridge the gap.

Pakistani first-classer Mohammad Saad, who impressed in a previous spell at Redcar, has fellow countryman Rizwan Ullah alongside him. Ullah was Eppleton’s leading NEPL player two years ago when he was a student, and should provide the cutting edge alongside Dale Marshall (Normanby Hall) and Connor Whitelock (Guisborough). Paul Freary captains the side, and has keeper Jack Hardy (Marton) and Nathan Wright (Richmondshire) to call on.

At Park Drive, Hartlepool will be led by Chris Harrison, although there are some concerns about influential Sri Lankan Shani Dissanayake being available in the early weeks after delays in his visa paperwork.

Former Yorkshire player Lewis Stabler has been awarded the second pro’s berth after a successful winter in Australia, while off-spinner/batsman Jonathan Carson from Melbourne has been registered as the overseas amateur.

It hasn’t been an easy winter at Fountains Garth, but there are signs that Guisborough are beginning to turn the corner after the significant departures of Turner, Allinson, Holdsworth and Whitelock. Bangladeshi Test star Enamel Haque junior has rejoined – he last played in 2011 – and joined by Ash Armstrong, recommended by Steve Chapman. Aussie all-rounder Armstrong plays successfully at the highest level of club cricket in Melbourne. Graeme Wrightson captains.

Mid-table last time out, Middlesbrough skipper James Lowe will be happy with more of the same after the loss of Callum Buckley, Mattie Connolly, Gary Burgum and Omar Shahid. Lowe will look to give a promising crop of youngsters their chance, while hoping South African Stephen Reeves can repeat his successes of last summer.

Norton achieved their aim of Premier survival in their first year back in the big time, and with fit again former Durham and Kent man Mark Davies joining them along with keeper Gary Burgum, should move up a step or two.

Normanby Hall, who finished just above Norton in 2015, have seen five departures – James Clarkson, Carl McGregor, Dale Marshall, Jaedyn Bartosh-Short and Shahid Khan – but coming in the opposite direction are first-class batting world record holder Aamer Sajjad, local boy Ryan Gibson, who is on Yorkshire’s books, and South African all-rounder Francois Kroukamp.

There were more thrills, spills, twists and turns at Hornby Park last summer than at the nearby amusement arcades. From being dead and buried in mid-season, Seaton Carew rode the roller coaster to dramatically avoid relegation in the very last match, and skipper Marty Skirving is hoping for a much smoother ride this time around.

Out have gone the Rodrigo brothers from Sri Lanka, and with Danny Evans on a sabbatical, Pakistani Usman Arshad has taken up one of the professional berths. Arshad played half a season at Redcar in 2015, scoring almost 500 runs, and his first-class record is strong with more than 5,000 runs from over 100 games. Other new faces include Reece Carr (Sacriston) and Sam Taylor-Gell (South Shields), both youngsters having represented Durham at various levels.

Billingham Synthonia are back in the top-flight for the first time relegation in 2012, and have recruited West Indian Alston Bobb to bolster their squad. The left-arm spinner, who plays for the Windward Islands, can also handle himself with the bat and has experience of UK conditions. Mike Atkinson leads a side that can also call upon new arrivals Shahid Khan and Adam Greenwell – the primary aim being to consolidate upon their return to the top table.