DARWEN will get their Northern Premier League campaign under way with a home clash against a team which will also have designs on the title this summer.

The Birch Hall outfit finished third last season and tomorrow they host the side which came one place below them in the 2014 standings, St Annes.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Darwen, who will once again be captained by Jordan Clarke this summer, have lost South African star George Linde.

But they have moved to replace Linde by signing Pakistan’s big-hitting Under-19 World Cup skipper Sami Aslam, left-arm spinner David Bowden, ex Cherry Tree batsman Mark Friend, and all-rounder Niall Burke, who returns from a two-year stint with Standish.

Unlike Darwen, Chorley struggled in the league last season.

But the Windsor Park outfit did the competition proud by reaching the semi-finals of the National Knockout.

Chorley skipper Andy Holdsworth will be looking for more consistency from his side in the league this season after finishing 11th last year.

They start the 2015 campaign with a home showdown against last season’s runners-up, Leyland tomorrow.

Chorley hope overseas player Brenton McDonald will be available to make his debut in the match.