NEWPORT and Usk are bracing themselves for an increase in intensity and quality when the new cricket season gets get under way.

The inaugural Swalec Premier League starts on the first weekend of May, pitting the cream of the east against the best of the west.

Nearly three years of negotiations have brought together the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire Cricket League and the South Wales Cricket Association.

The result should be tougher and better cricket played between ten high-quality clubs.

Newport and Usk ensured their qualification for the top flight by finishing in the east’s top five behind champions Cardiff and are both looking forward to the challenges ahead.

“We are excited and there will be some good hard cricket against some top sides,” said Newport captain Michael Clayden, who amassed 919 league runs last season and averaged over 70. “It will be tough and will be a long season but we are all looking forward to the challenge.

“East against west will add a bit of spice and there are some new places to go and some that we only go to once every five years.

“Hopefully we will develop some new rivalries but it’s the old ones like Cardiff home and away that still catch the eye.”

Usk captain Tom Robinson believes the prospect of a tight tussle every weekend will bring the best out of teams.

“It will be good to play a competitive game every week rather than a season where there are five or six tough ones and some others that it is hard to motivate yourself for,” he said.

“This has been needed and I think there will also be a new challenge in that we will have to think on our feet in order to get rid of batsmen.

“We will be playing new teams and new batters that we don’t know where to bowl to. Previously, guys came out to bat and we knew where to set the field, which bowler could get a man out. It will be a nice fresh challenge.”

After a winter of hard graft the players are finally getting out in the middle for their pre-season friendlies before the proper action starts on May 1.

“There’s a lot of anticipation,” admitted Clayden. “The first Sunday after the first fixture will be interesting because then we will know more about how things are going to shape up.

“There are a lot of teams who haven’t played each other for a long time and are going to be sizing each other up and there are ten good teams.

“We have a lot of players in their early twenties but we have played a lot of cricket together and are confident of being very competitive.”

Glamorgan pushed hard for the new league and will work hard to ensure it is a success.

They have allocated players to each club which presents the prospect of Robinson bossing around Jamie Dalrymple, the Glamorgan captain who also led the England Lions last season.

“I don’t think I will be texting a time and a place to him every Saturday!” said the Usk skipper.

“Even if he only plays a couple of games for us it will be great and the lads will be honoured and it will be great to watch someone of that quality.

“He is clearly an intelligent man and I’d imagine I will be taking more tips off him than he is from me! But it is a great honour for the club.”

Usk host Swansea on opening weekend and Newport head to Ynysygerwn.