We’re looking forward to testing ourselves … This is one of the stronger squads I’ve been involved in

George Johansen, captain

Colwyn Bay are flying the flag for North Wales in the Love Lane Liverpool Competition Premier Division – and skipper George Johansen reckons they can raise their standard.

Bay were last in the top flight in 2019, so there will be some familiar faces making the long journey to Merseyside.

Left-arm spinner Paul Jenkins (pictured) will need no introduction, having taken more than 1,000 Comp wickets in his long career.

Former skipper Sion Morris, opener Zack Gidlow and all-rounder Ryan Holtby have been there, done that, racking up more than 1,000 games between them.

But the breakthrough hit of last summer was Will Evans, a left-handed opener signed from Neston who passed 50 nine times in 19 innings and topped the Division One run charts with 889.

Will Higginson rejoins the squad from Northop Hall, while off-spinning all-rounder Fabid Ahmed will arrive from India.

Johansen is keen to see what they can all do, given a crack at the Premier Division.

He said: “Because we’ve been out of the Prem for a while, it’s difficult to know exactly where we are.

“We’re looking forward to testing ourselves against the best teams. 

“This is one of the stronger squads I’ve been involved in at Colwyn Bay. 

“We’ve got a lot of people who have been around the Liverpool Comp for a long time – Sion Morris, Paul Jenkins, I think everyone’s pretty familiar with them. 

“But we have got a few new people who we’ve signed in the past few years who they may not have seen before.

“It’ll be a tough season but fingers crossed, we can pick up some good results.

“If you’re too concerned about getting relegated, you can sort of brainwash yourself into thinking that’s all you can do, then that’s where you find yourself. 

“So we’re going to try to aim as high as we can.”

North Wales’ cricket scene is a thriving one in its own right, and Johansen is happy to straddle two separate worlds. 

He and several teammates have close links with North Wales League side Northop – fierce rivals of the Comp’s Northop Hall – and Bay always set their sights on progress in the Welsh Cup.

“We try to be the premier side in North Wales,” said Johansen.

“We take the Welsh Cup very seriously and had a good run to the semi-final last year.

“It’s something we pride ourselves on – we keep very strong links to the North Wales League, but at the same time we very much enjoy playing in the Liverpool Comp.”