The club's re-entry was confirmed in a letter last week from the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control and the club is expected to take its place in the First Division when the structure for the new season is confirmed.

And while it is still unclear whether the club's top former players Darrin Lewis, Jason Lewis, Mark Ray, Bruce Perinchief and John Ray will return to play in a lower division -- assuming the league is split into two divisions -- the club should still be competitive wherever it plays.

So says Englishman Neil Speight, the prime mover in getting Nationals back into the league after a one year absence, and who will act as captain of the team.

The team will comprise a number of expatriate players from the Commercial Division, both English and Jamaican, as well as a number of Bermudians.

One of those local players Speight is trying to lure to Nationals is Cup Match player Perry Maybury who has given up the captaincy at Somerset, though Maybury is still undecided on such a move.

"I've had a number of positive telephone conversations with him and I'm optimistic that when he meets the players down at Nationals he will feel comfortable about joining us,'' said Speight yesterday. "Ultimately it will be his decision.'' Speight said he had spoken with both Perinchief, before he left for Kenya with the Bermuda team, and John Ray about rejoining the club. Jason Lewis, who is still recovering from injury, is non-committal while his brother Darrin is still abroad at school and may not play any cricket this year.

"I'm confident in the squad we've got that we'll do well, even without them (former players),'' said Speight, 30, who is a wicketkeeper-batsman who played for a number of years in the Kent League in England for a club called Gore Court.

Last year Speight played for Forties in the Commercial League, but is keen, as are a number of other Commercial players, to play at a higher level.

They include Jamaicans David Gibbs and Michael Campbell of Pembroke and Englishmen James Thomas, a number three bat and off-spinner from Forties, and policeman Grant Tompkins, a bowler all-rounder from the same team.

There are also three new English-born players to the Island -- David Wright, a seam bowler who also played in the Kent League and opening batsmen James Broadbent and Graham Strange. Iwan Jones, who arrived in Bermuda at the end of last season, is another player who is set to join Nationals.

"We are also keen to get back some of the former players,'' said Speight who mentioned the names of Lloyd Fray, Terry Thomas and Winston Simmons.

NEIL SPEIGHT -- Will serve as captain of team.