There will be a whole new and exciting look on the field for Welwyn Garden City Cricket Club this season - but two of their most well-known players are moving on.
Owais Shah and skipper Dan Blacktopp lead a total of six departures from Digswell Park ahead of the 2023 Herts Cricket League Premier Division season.
After 10 years at the club, former England international Shah has decided to retire from the league.
He played 135 matches for Welwyn and scored 6,565 runs, hitting 14 centuries at an average of 69.11.
A spokesman for WGC said: "It is rare when one player can have such an impact on a cricket league but it is testament to the ability of Owais that all the other teams had to raise the standards of their game after his arrival.
"Everyone at the club thanks Owais for the privilege of watching him play cricket."
He is not finished with the sport entirely and has been tempted with playing for Sunbury in Surrey.
Blacktopp meanwhile was the skipper for the past three seasons but after a troubling campaign last time out, where the club just avoided a relegation play-off, he has decided not only to step down but move back to former club Harpenden.
The spokesman added: "Everyone at the club wishes Dan well and we know that the games with Harpenden this season will now have an even greater edge."
The other departures are significant too.
Mo Rizvi has taken up an offer from Slough to become their director of cricket, Kapil Dave is looking for a club nearer to his home in Leicestershire and Umesh Valjee has moved to Shenley.
Last year's import, Aidan Watterson, has returned to Australia after his one-year visa was completed.
But, having lost such prominent characters, Welwyn have been delighted with their recruitment over the winter, believing it important to replace them with players of equal quality and ability.
Jack Clayton, a former Queensland and Brisbane Heat batsman, arrives at the end of April, as WGC continue the annual invitation to Australian players looking to play in the UK.
He has just played his first season of Sheffield Shield cricket, scoring 623 runs in his 13 games at an average of 32.78.
Fayaz Homyoon and Dan Orchard have both made the short move from Premier Division rivals Hertford.
Homyoon, a current Bedfordshire county man, is looking to continue his impressive form from last season while Orchard will come in as part of Welwyn’s opening bowling attack.
RadhaKrishna Marripati, a batting all-rounder, moves to Hertfordshire having played last season in the Middlesex Premier League for Twickenham.
The final new face will be familiar to many, Louis Walpole coming in as Blacktopp's successor behind the stumps from neighbours North Mymms.
Looking to fill Blacktopp's shoes as skipper is new first-team captain Connor Emerton, who was elected unanimously to the post.
The spokesman finished by saying: "Connor has been a prominent member of the first team for many seasons and will be looking to integrate the new players into a team of talented youngsters, eager to build on the experiences they all gained last season."
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