WARMINSTER skipper Tom Davie is hoping to catch last year’s Glos/Wilts winners off guard when they play host on the opening day of the season.

Despite winning the league, Rockhampton remained in the re-structured Prem Two Glos/Wilts division.

Davie’s side have had a re-structure of their own over the winter break with overseas batsman Ankit Shastri departing, replaced by Barbadian all-rounder Jamaine Bullen, and Des Kruger also leaving.

With those two absent, Davie knows that they must fill the void in the batting department but believes that their home form at Sambourne should hold them in good stead.

“It is a tough start but good to be at home and we’ll look to hopefully start well,” he said.

“There are a few changes this year. Ankit, who got a lot of runs for us last year, is not back this year and another guy called Des isn’t either, so two crucial guys with the bat over the last couple of years and they will be a big loss.

“We have replaced them with a couple of guys who are keen to impress and do well.

“It is nice to have a tough test to start the season with to see where we are at and you can always catch teams that are a little bit underdone.

“If you look over the last few seasons, we rarely get beaten at home so if we can win those games then we should be alright.”

Having beaten Marlborough convincingly in their first warm-up game for the new season, Warminster fell to a disappointing defeat to Devizes as the hosts chased down 67 for the loss of only three wickets and Davie is hoping for a change in conditions before the weekend.

When asked if he was looking forward to the season starting he replied: “Not if the weather doesn’t warm up. It’s been awful, but I am lead to believe it is going to so we are looking forward to getting back out there.

“Our preparations have been mixed. We had a really good win over Marlborough, we batted well and bowled well, and then with a weakened side against Devizes we didn’t get on so well.”