Who's who in top flight cricket in Scotland

Captain: Neil MacRae Professional: Michael Parlane (New Zealand)

Prospects: Will do well to match last season's double-winning heroics.

CARLTON

Captain: Fraser Watts

Professional: None

Prospects: Have the strength in depth to make a sustained challenge.

CLYDESDALE

Captain: Harmanjit Singh

Professional: Kamran Sajid (Pakistan)

Prospects: Should improve on last season's mid-table position.

DUNFERMLINE

Captain: Gowtham Rai

Professional: Alastair Gray (South Africa)

Prospects: Shrewd signings will help new boys settle in premier division.

FORFARSHIRE

Captain: Ryan Watson (pictured right)

Professional: Kelby Pickering (Australia)

Prospects: Unlikely to challenge for the title on their return to top flight.

GRANGE

Captain: Sanjay Patel

Professional: Warren McSkimming (NZ)

Prospects: Favourites to win back the title.

GREENOCK

Captain: Kevin McLaren (pictured right)

Professional: None

Prospects: Big name departures mean they could struggle.

UDDINGSTON

Captain: Ricky Bawa

Professional: Batepola Priyadarshana (Sri Lanka)

Prospects: May lack the all-round quality to challenge for the title.

WATSONIANS

Captain: Steve Paige

Professional: Tim Weston (NZ)

Prospects: New signings make the Myreside men potential dark horses.

WEST OF SCOTLAND

Captain: Ian Young

Professional: Leighton Burrt (NZ)

Prospects: Another solid season in prospect after last year's third place for West.

NATIONAL ACADEMY

FOR the third year, the premier division of the SNCL has been expanded to include a team of young cap prospects.

Previously competing as Scotland U19s, the team has this year been re-styled as the National Academy, a change which gives coach Craig Wright greater flexibility of selection, accommodating players up to the age of 21, and will help fill a "black hole" that previously saw some youngsters fall off the representative radar.

Wright said: "In the past some players have graduated from the U19s and found themselves with nowhere to go because they were not quite ready for the senior Scotland team. The Academy set-up will help fill that black hole and give players more opportunity to develop."

Wright's Academy team will play all ten top flight sides once, with their matches counting towards the overall percentages in the league table.

The U19s won three games in their first season and five last year and Wright said: "We have proved we can beat the top sides on a regular basis and I'm sure we will continue to be competitive."