After the first round of pre-season cup matches we can make an assessment of the coming league season in the Elitedivision. All the participating clubs have witnessed changes to their teams since last season which have both positive and negative effects. One thing I am certain of and that is this year we will have a new champion. Let's have a look at the eight teams taking part.

Skanderborg, who have won the championship the last three years running, will not be able to, in my opinion, to repeat that success this year. Skanderborg have lost the services of their professional coach/player Clinton Birkenshaw, and they haven't found a replacement. That's one bowler less. Denmark's best all-rounder from last year Lars Hedegaard (right) has left the club and joined Husum. That's another bowler gone. His brother Morten works in Copenhagen and will only be available for a couple of matches, while Mikkel Skannerup, last year's keeper has called it a day. This has left the batting in the hands of Soren Kirk and Denmark's captain Carsten Pedersen and the bowling with Thomas Nielsen. This is not enough however and so Skanderborg may find life more difficult. The loss against Aalborg in the first Danish Cup match proved this.

Svanholm, last year's runners-up, have also lost players. Denmark's opening bowler Henrik Hansen has returned to Glostrup. The Hyatt brothers have gone back to native Albertslund while batsmen Max Overgaard is on the long-term injured list. Svanholm, however, have a new player/coach from Australia, John Keady, but he is more of a club cricket player and has been chosen more for his coaching capabilities. No, Svanholm are hoping more for their younger players to break through and especially Zishan Shah, who has just been with the ECC Cricket Academy in Spain. Svanholm themselves are hoping to be in the top half of the table, so it will be interesting to se how they get on.

Esbjerg surprised Danish cricket last year by sneaking in at the end and winning the bronze medals. They are quite capable of repeating that this year or going even better. Esbjerg has not lost any players since last year, but they have received Junaid Niagra from Odense as an extra all-rounder and who did well against Husum in the Cup taking 4 wickets. The batting in Esbjerg is again in the hands of Kent Jensen, Jesper Hansen, Claus Hansen and Peer Jensen. Esbjerg are hard to beat at home with their small ground and artificial pitch that favours the bowlers.

Husum, the club from Northern Germany that is Danish through and through, have received the services of Lars Hedegaard from Skanderborg. Otherwise the players are the same from last year under the charge of Leif Slebsager. Fast bowler Hauke Müller will still steam in, even though he qualifies for the Forty Club (someone keeps telling him the Elitedivision is no better) However the question is whether one player can tilt the game in Husum's favour after scrambling for survival last year. Husum's bowling depth is still not deep enough to be the threat.

Glostrup, a suburb of Copenhagen, is the team to watch this season. Their bowling has been strengthened by the return of Henrik Hansen (right). They have one of the better off-spinners in Anders Rasmussen. A good all-rounder in David Borchersen who has had a come back for Denmark and Glostrup have the services of Australian Niel Schlittler, an aggressive batsman, but he won't forget his debut for Glostrup. There's a big zero in the scorebook to prove it. Glostrup also have Rasmus Kofoed, a left-handed batsman who has come from Aalborg. I am quite sure Glostrup will be the favourites and the team to beat. They did well last year in parts and then played some really bad games. This I hope they will correct this year and they started well in the Cup beating last year's relegated side Ishoj.

Last year's promoted side is Aalborg from the North of Jutland. They've tried before and failed. Last year they had a very good bowling side but were a bit weak on the batting. This year they have lost key players which will make things hard for them. Their long serving left arm spinner Soren Klitgaard has retired from top cricket, Christian Pedersen is educating himself in New Zealand and batsman Rasmus Koefoed has gone to Glostrup. Aalborg had also hoped to retain Jarred, their New Zealand professional but he has returned home and has been replaced by David Nankerves, a keeper/batsman. Also Jeva “Tarzan” Jeveratnam has joined Aalborg and did well in the Cup game against Skanderborg scoring over 50. Aalborg will be fighting for survival this year, together with KB and Husum.

KB, who just managed to avoid the drop last year in the play-off, will probably be in the same boat again this year. They have the same player base as last year, although Bajid Singh of Denmark is back playing after a couple of years in England, but they have a good youth department like Svanholm. So it will be interesting to see if any of their under-19 players make a mark and pull this old, traditional club back into the lime-light and out of trouble.

Finally there's Norrebro, the pure Pakistani side that is a dark horse. Sometimes they play brilliantly, especially if Aftab Ahmed (right) gets going, but sometimes they just fall apart (as in Esbjerg when bowled out for 19). The problem for Norrebro is the lack of organisation and grade of practice. If this side could practice on a regular basis, they would be a great side to watch. They have been close to glory and they have won the Danish Cup a couple of years back in a memorable finish. They can do it again and yet they could fall right out.

The battle for this year's glory is, I'm sure, between Glostrup, Esbjerg and Svanholm with a couple of outsiders who might surprise. The Championship is not a clear cut case but wide open and will be interesting to watch - if the weather keeps fair.