Somerset Cricket Club’s chances of success in the league this season have been dealt a serious blow with leading allrounder Kamau Leverock moving to rivals Western Stars on a one-year loan deal.

A former captain of the national team, Leverock, who has been playing recently in England for Radcliffe-on-Trent Cricket Club, brings a wealth of international experience and talent to help a youthful St John’s Road outfit.

Stars moved closer to the precipice of success under the captaincy of Tre Manders last season, pressing perennial title chasers St George’s and Bailey’s Bay, and it could well be Leverock who carries them across the narrowing crevasse.

Stars and Bay will get the opportunity to gauge whether that gap is likely to close when the pair clash at Sea Breeze Oval in a mouth-watering season-opening encounter this weekend, and it may prove the opportune time for Stars to pounce with Bay likely to have several regulars absent, including their own allrounder, Rodney Trott.

“We might be understrength this week, but we’re still looking to come out and do the business against Western Stars, who have a good team and have recently signed Kamau on loan,” said Bay captain Terryn Fray at the end of a Tuesday evening practice session.

“They’ll be a little stronger and dominant this year, but it’s time for cricket down here at Bay and there’s a lot of anticipation for the first game. Hopefully it’s good weather and we get a nice crowd and things could just click like last season.”

Leverock is not the only senior player leaving Somerset on loan with swashbucking batter Chris Douglas joining PHC, who have returned to the domestic cricket scene after an absence of year. Douglas will be joined at PHC by Gavin Manders after he made the switch from Western Stars.

While it is difficult to replace cricketers of the calibre of Leverock and Douglas, Somerset have used the loan system to sign Alex Dore from Southampton Rangers and Jahniko Francis from Warwick Workmen’s Club.

St David’s have drafted in Dean Stephens, from Willow Cuts, and Cleveland County’s Makai Young, while Rangers have boosted their squad by bringing in Quilahn Richardson from Warwick.