Baxenden begin the defence of their Houldsworth Ribblesdale League crown at Ribblesdale Wanderers tomorrow hoping to achieve what no team has managed since 2004.

Read were the last team to retain the senior division title, finishing top three years in succession.

The Back Lane outfit, recently returned from a pre season trip to Ireland, are confident they can emulate Read’s achievement.

They have retained the services of professional Babar Naeem who topped the batting averages for a second successive season in 2009 with 1217 runs.

And former Wisden one day cricketer of the year Ian Austin remains a potential match winner .

They have kept their double-winning side together from last season, only losing youngster Dominic Bulcock who has joined brother Toby at Elton.

Great Harwood were runners-up last season but the Cliffe Park side suffered a major pre season blow with the loss of big hitting Russell Whalley.

The son of former Accrington Stanley chairman, Eric, he broke his leg playing football and is likely to miss the rest of the season.

Whalley won the league batting prize in 2005 and five times in the last seven years - including 2009 - he has led the way in smashing sixes.

Harwood, champions in 2008, will certainly find it hard to find a similar replacement.

Surprise challengers to Baxenden could be Barnoldswick who haven’t won the title since 1992.

They have a new professional in experienced Pakistani Jaffer Nazir and also welcome former Bradford League stalwart Richard Nichols.

The 41-year-old dad of two is moving into the area and could be a major coup for Barnoldswick who were fourth bottom last year. Nichols has spent the last three seasons with Lightcliffe CC and was approached to make the switch last October.

Barnoldswick’s only problem early season could be a lack of home ground.

Indeed, they open up on Saturday against Settle at Colne CC because Victory Park is still unplayable following winter drainage problems.

Salesbury will enjoy one of their proudest days this weekend when they play their first ever senior division game after gaining promotion.

The Ribchester Road side, who host Edenfield, led Division One from start to finish in 2009, lost only two games and lifted the trophy for a fifth time.

They are the first new team since Oswaldtwistle Immanuel in 1994.

On the debit side the League, boasting new sponsors in Houldsworth Solicitors, have lost 2007 champions Blackburn Northern.

Last season's wooden spoonists were kicked out of the division after applying for re-election and later announced they wouldn’t be fielding any teams in 2010. However, Northern hope to re-group and reclaim their place next season.

Oswaldtwistle, captained by Imran Abid, welcome Chris Cook-Martin as their new pro in succession to Andy Kerr. Mitch Taylor and Phil Howard have joined Accrington while Immanuel have recruited Shakeel Khan and Shahid Iqbal. season.

Cook-Martin, 24, was the paid man at Astley and Tyldesley CC in the Bolton Association League last year where he scored 900 runs

List of professionals: Barnoldswick (Jaffer Nazir), Baxenden (Baber Naeem), Cherry Tree (Paul Turner), Clitheroe (Tom Hardman), Earby (Ali Azmat), Edenfield (Raheel Majeed), Great Harwood (Raouf Akbar), Oswaldtwistle Immanuel (Chris Cook-Martin), Padiham (Kashif Siddique), Read (Jon Harvey), Ribblesdale Wanderers (Agha Sabir), Salesbury (Richard Rostron), Settle (Harry Boam), Whalley (Kamram Younis).