Accrington host Nelson at The iMEP Arena when the JW Lees Lancashire League season starts on Sunday.
Graeme Sneddon will lead the team once again and Jurie Snyman returns for a second season after a highly successful first season as professional last term.
Both the first and second teams will start the season with a 6 point deduction as a result of an accumulation of on field discipline breaches and general poor player behaviour over the past two seasons.
The club has signed Oliver Lowe from Oswaldtwistle Immanuel and Nathaniel Young from Ramsbottom during the winter.
Former professional Jacob Clarke also returns as an amateur.
George Mills (Enfield) and Joe Graham (Church) have left the club.
Early starts were ratified at The Lancashire League's AGM in February with all league and cup matches moving to 12:30 all season.
Other rule changes ratified include all clubs will now be expected to have two sight screens at each end of the ground.
Teams will now bowl with their own ball.
A maximum of two balls per over above shoulder height will be allowed before a No Ball is called.
The Chairman has identified minimum standards for Umpires Rooms and walkie talkies will be introduced at every club.
In T20 matches the League Rain Rules will now apply in rain affected matches.
The 3rd XI League will have four divisions of eight teams with fielding circles being introduced in for the first time.
Accrington include new signings Oliver Lowe and Nathaniel Young in the team on Sunday.
Nelson field new professional Ben Breitmeyer, a Canadian based in New Zealand and will be captained by the veteran wicketkeeper Michael Bradley.
The ground holds fond memories for the Lancashire League's all time leading wicketkeeper, who claimed a record eight catches in the 1988 meeting between the clubs when professional Anton Ferreira took all ten Accrington wickets.
Hassan Fazal also makes his league debut for his new club.
The seconds, led by new captain Antonio Lo-Giudice following the departure of Afrus Ali, travel to Walsden.
On Saturday Accrington host Lostock in a pre-season friendly.
This season we are looking back at the historic Lancashire League championship winning season of 1975 and also the less successful season of 1995 when Colin Miller was professional.
We will start looking back at 1975 next week as the season didn't start until April 27th.
Accrington fell to a 56 run defeat to East Lancs at Alexandra Meadows on the opening day of the 1995 season.
To get the feel of the club back in 1995 please visit the monthly Newsletters on the Crickethistory.website.
