Prescot & Odyssey skipper Graham Talbot believes his side are back where they belong after promotion to the Love Lane Liverpool Competition.

But his and the club’s ambitions do not begin and end in Division Two, as shown by a winter of eye-catching recruitment. 

Hedley Molyneux, a title winner with Leigh in 2016, arrives after five years at Highfield.

Harsh Shonak, who impressed a few observers with some classy batting for Rainford, also brings some Premier Division experience to the top order.

Spinner Ali Zubairi and paceman Idrees Afridi make the move from Knowsley rivals Whitefield, while left-arm seamer Jamal Adil, who began last season with Newton-le-Willows, remains with P&O after a mid-season switch.

Talbot said: “I’ve known Hedley for a while and he’s a great lad, a fantastic batter and really good with the ball. 

“He was a key figure to get in. 

“Obviously he’s won the Premier League, so he’s been there and done that – I wanted to make a statement signing.

“Harsh is the type of player I wanted, a really classy batter who can get runs and another good lad.

“I’m really happy with the recruitment we’ve done.”

Recent arrivals to the Comp include Spring View, established in Division One, Sutton, promoted last year, and Norley Hall, regularly competitive at the top of Division Two.

This has not gone unnoticed at P&O – Talbot says the club’s long-term aim is to continue climbing the ladder.

“We’re really excited to be back in the Comp,” he said. 

“It’s been our target for the last couple of years. 

“With our ground and our facilities, we believe we are a Liverpool Competition club.

“The squad we’ve got, we’ve all played in the Comp before, we all know what to expect. 

“I’ve not really put any targets on this season, but I’ve said to the lads we want to compete in every game and make it difficult for the opposition. 

“And I think we’re capable of doing that.

“We’ll go game by game and if we do what I think we can do, we’ve got an exciting season ahead.

“What we really want to do is push and get into Division One. That is the target, whether it takes another few seasons.”