Uddingston Cricket Club skipper Bryan Clarke confident ahead of new season starting this Saturday

Bryan Clarke – whose side landed the 2019 crown before last season’s fixtures were wiped out by coronavirus – is raring to go in Saturday’s league opener at home to Clydesdale

"We’ll be strong enough and we’ll compete well,” said wicketkeeper Clarke, 41. “We did get back to playing last year, albeit non competitively, so we just put a huge emphasis on the kids and juniors in the club and also the younger players coming through into the senior team.

"And we’re probably, dare I say, in terms of depth and numbers, as strong as we’ve ever been.

"We almost completed a league season unbeaten last time out and we might not be to that level but I tell you what, we have a hell of a number of really good young guys and the club is going from strength to strength.

"Personally I don’t think we’ll be that far away. But you’re now looking at a slightly more truncated season.”

Bryan was referring to the fact that it will be 16 fixtures per team instead of 18 due to the first two playing weekends being cancelled as Glasgow teams were still in tier three of Covid-19 rules (the city goes down to tier two from Saturday).

"We have arguably lost maybe two of the easier fixtures from the 18,” Clarke added.

"But it doesn’t really matter to a point because we’re just delighted to be playing and things getting back to normal.

"The league has resolved that if we lose four or more rounds for Covid reasons it would then revert to a non competitive league which nobody wants.

"You could play friendlies until the cows come home but you want to be playing for something.”