CALLINGTON director of cricket Joe White expects the Greens to be challenging for the ECB Cornwall Premier League title and the respective T20 competitions this summer.

The Moores Park outfit enjoyed their finest season in years in 2024, winning the Hawkey Cup, as well as securing a second-placed finish in the 50-over stuff.

A busy winter has seen the club strengthen once more with Cornwall duo Max Tryfonos and Xavier Clarke joining, while South African UK passport holder Rowen Taplin has been brought in to add firepower to the middle-order and keep wicket when needed.

Off the field, improvements have also been made both in terms of facilities, while former Somerset leg-spinner Max Waller is the new head coach.

White said: “I believe last season was a great success for the club overall. For the first team to finish second in the league and win the Hawkey Cup is something we definitely would have been happy with at the start of the season. That said, there was still a touch of disappointment at not being able to go all the way and secure the league title.”

Indoor nets at Callington Community College have been well-attended, while there is hope Waller’s stamp on sessions will shine as the summer progresses.

White said: “We've had a highly-productive winter, with strong attendance and excellent energy throughout our training sessions and the squad has shown real promise with both bat and ball.

“We’re also thrilled to have Max as our new head coach. Max now leads all our training sessions, which is an incredible opportunity for local cricketers to develop their skills under top level guidance.

“In addition, we've made significant investments in our facilities, including the installation of a brand-new scoreboard and the purchase of new grounds equipment, all aimed at enhancing the quality of our playing surfaces.”

White is also determined to bring through a host of promising youngsters into the first team over the coming seasons. Saturday’s opener saw them beat neighbours Werrington by four wickets having dismissed their neighbours for 132. That game saw 17-year-old paceman Spencer Whatley debut. for the club

While he was expensive, he got the big wicket of Sri Lankan pro Thulina Dilshan, caught behind by White.

He added: “We’re proud to be a club that gives young players opportunities, and it was great to give Spencer his Premier League debut. He’s shown fantastic development over the winter and fully deserved his chance to step up. That commitment and promise is something we’re seeing across our youth setup.

“Right now, we have a talented group coming through, including five players named in the Cornwall Under 18s squad. We’re excited to support their progression and help them grow into Premier League players.”

Combining the class of Clarke, Tryfonos and overseas player Liam Lindsay, plus the youngsters when possible, will be the task for skipper Graham Wagg, all while aiming for silverware.

White said: “Our goal this season is to challenge for the Premier League title and win both the Hawkey Cup and the Edwards Cup. We believe in the strength and depth of our squad to make that happen.

“I believe we have the quality to beat any team on our day, and we’ll approach every match with that belief. Having done the double over Penzance in the league last year, we’ve already proven what we’re capable of, I think it’s a case of being more consistent as a team.

“We also think our seconds and thirds should also be right up there in their respective leagues. Both sides are stacked with promising youngsters and experienced players.”

However, White knows winning the Premier League for the first time will be more difficult than ever, admitting: “This is the strongest the league has looked in years. I genuinely think we’ll see some major upsets this season. Every team has players capable of winning games on their own, so you have to be switched on every single match. If you're not at your best, it's easy to slip up.”

Callington are back in action on Saturday when they make their longest trip of the season to St Just (1pm).

The seconds face their Werrington counterparts at Moores Park in Division Two East, while the thirds entertain neighbours Menheniot-Looe at Liskeard’s Lux Park. Both matches get underway at 1pm.