The cricket season is upon us and I am ready to make my predictions for the season.This year will be extremely interesting as the Bermuda Cricket Board announced that three teams will be relegated instead of two and only one team will have the honour of being promoted. On top of that, a new bonus system regarding points has been put in place around areas of weaknesses that Bermuda National Coach David Moore has identified.This puts pressure on every game with every bonus point extremely important. As for my predictions, I have toiled and toiled with this, but after much deliberation and observing the Belco Cup I have come up with the following.In eighth place this year I foresee Social Club. They bounced right back up after being relegated but their inability to pick up any major players in the off season will not help their cause. The loss of Clay Darrell will be a major blow as his economical bowling will be missed.Charlie Marshall and Rodney Trott will be their key players. Social Club are capable of beating any team in the division on their day but I believe consistency will be their struggle.However, while I have them finishing last, if there is one team that could prove me wrong it definitely would be Social Club as they have experience and a fighting spirit that I love.In seventh place and what a big surprise I know, but I have Bailey’s Bay.This is a team that I feel over-achieved last year as they found ways to win. Relatively having the same nucleus of players, they will be boosted by the arrival of Ryan Steede but will be hindered by the loss of Glen Blakeney.Steven Outerbridge is the key to Bay’s success but his dodgy knee may limit his playing ability.Bay have a decent seam attack but lack variety in spin, which could be their downfall. Irving Romaine and Damon Edwards picked up major injuries during the Belco Cup, which could keep them out for most, if not all of the season.However, with an energetic fielding team backed by a solid bowling team they could possibly avoid the drop, but with their batting being so shallow it sets up to be a difficult task.Coming in sixth place I have Devonshire Recreation Club. They narrowly avoided the drop last year because of the sudden change from two teams being relegated to only one. This time around I cannot see them escaping as their bowling is fragile.The additions of Dean Stevens and Ricardo Brangman have bolstered their team but the loss of Chris Foggo will prove massive.Devonshire have the ability to avoid the drop with their never say die approach which could prove the difference in them staying up.They are strong batting wise but it is their bowling and fielding that leave a lot to be desired. If they can improve their bowling and fielding they can prove me wrong and remain in the top flight.Finishing in fifth place and just missing out on a Belco Cup spot, I have PHC. They will struggle to replace the players they have lost in Fiqre Crockwell, Dean Stevens and Ricardo Brangman.These players played a significant part in PHC’s success last season. However, Chris Foggo and Khiry Furbert are two players PHC picked up to try and fill that void.If PHC are to break into the top four again, Foggo and Jason Anderson will have to be outstanding. Emerging though, is young Kamau Leverock who many will have high expectations of.In the bowling department they have Kevin Tucker, one of Bermuda’s most devastating fast bowlers, and with veterans Cal Waldron and David (Chick) Adams around PHC are no slouches. They are a team capable of beating any team but they too could also find themselves in a relegation battle if their batting isn’t up to par.Breaking into the top four and back where they belong in the top flight, I have St. George’s. They have benefitted by playing down in the lower league while letting some of their younger players gain some much needed experience.Batting is their strength and with what I think is the deepest batting line-up in the league, they will look to bat teams out of the game.Cup Match captain Oronde Bascome will be expected to lead by example, supported by the explosive James Celestine and fast improving Mishael Paynter.One player they will miss is all-rounder and spinner Jonte’ Smith who is abroad playing football but his brother Clay Darrell comes in after transferring to the East to give their bowling attack some much needed punch.A player to look out for this season is Zico Burgess, a very promising fast bowler.St. George’s have the capability of achieving a Belco spot but they can easily finish in the bottom three and get relegated if their players are not fully committed.Finishing third and ever improving are Willow Cuts.Cuts made great strides last year and will be a very dangerous team. They have the talent to win the league but they can also self-destruct if things start going wrong.In Deonte’ Darrell and Chris Douglas, they possess two of Bermuda’s most talented batsmen backed by two of the most prolific fast bowlers on the Island in the likes of Malachi Jones and George O’Brien.This is a young energetic team full of talented players. The strength of this team is their unity as they are a close knit community. If there is any team capable of breaking into the top two it is Willow Cuts.In at number two this year I am predicting St. David’s. After a disappointing season last year they will look to bounce back.Having secured the coaching services of Wendell Smith you can be guaranteed they will be very well organised.St. David’s’ biggest downfall in years past is that the national squad has had so many commitments and half of their team played for the squad, thus causing them to miss several games.With national duty now limited you will see a major difference. OJ Pitcher is their star player but this team have several quality players such as Delyone Borden, Lionel Cann and Justin Pitcher, just to name a few.St. David’s without a doubt have the best batting team on the island but is their bowling strong enough to win them a league title, that’s the question? If there is one team I can see dethroning Southampton Rangers it is St. David’s, but I don’t see that killer instinct in them like I used to, hence the reason why I have them as runners-up.Rangers “Get em, get em, get em”! Yes, Rangers are once again my pick for league champions and the reason is simple Dion Stovell.Remember the name folks as he will blaze a trail this year in the Premier Division.Rangers did a smart thing in making him captain as Dion will relish the extra responsibility.The key to winning the league is winning big games and Rangers know how to win big games. With young Stephan Dill coming along nicely, his bowling will be a tremendous boost to last year’s champions.In addition, Rangers have one of Bermuda’s best ever batsman and one of Bermuda’s best ever bowlers in Janeiro Tucker and Dwayne Leverock. To beat these guys you have to have your A game on and play good solid cricket for 100 overs.If Rangers have one weakness it is their lack of batting depth but very few teams are good enough to penetrate their top order, hence the reason why they are our current league champions.I know I may have surprised many with these predictions but given my cricketing knowledge this is what I can envision happening.Bermuda, regardless of who finishes where, what’s important is that we play the game in the right spirit and we give the crowd what they want, which is plenty of action.