Emotional day at Whitehaugh

It will be the club's first league match since the tragic death of wicket keeper David Bradshaw in a drowning accident in Turkey. Sathiy said that his players will need no further inspiration than to pick up a maximum haul of points in memory of their colleague and friend.

He said: "David was a giant of a man on and off the pitch and even though it is a few months since the terrible news came through, a lot of the guys are still hurting badly. We will hold a minute's silence at Whitehaugh and the team will take the field with black armbands.

"I feel that the full extent to which we will all miss David will only hit home when the game starts – and in the bar afterwards. He was a tremendous wicketkeeper and there is no doubt that the void will be hard to fill.

"Kevin West will take the gloves for the time being. He will be the first to admit that he is not a stumper in the same class as David was, but we know he will give 100 per cent to the cause."

Corstorphine will be without three other frontline stars – skipper Kevin McLaren, Preston Mommsen and Paddy Sadler having moved on to fresh challenges in higher divisions.

Former Scotland batsman Robert More has taken the captaincy and Sathiy said: "We missed out on promotion very narrowly in the past two seasons and I think this will be a campaign of consolidation.

"We don't know a great deal about Kelburne, but I am sure they will be fired up for their return to the National League scene."

There will also be a maiden outing for new overseas amateur Jason Biddulph, an off spinner.

Elsewhere, fallen giants Ferguslie play host to early title favourites Dumfries, while Freuchie make the trip to the capital to take on SMRH.

West Lothian's home tussle with Weirs is hard to call and looks likely to be a close affair.

The season opener between Renfrew and Edinburgh at King George V Park is another encounter whose outcome will prove difficult to predict with any certainty.