Brigade are set to shock North West cricket with the signing of at least five of the region’s top cricketers.

Johnny Thompson, widely regarded as the best seam bowler in the North West, has definitely made the switch from Brigade’s neighbours Glendermott while off-spinner Trevor Britton has joined from Bready, where he was club captain. 

Gareth McKeegan of Killymallaght and former Limavady batsman Thomas Riddles are two other definite arrivals, while Brigade expect that the prolific Strabane batsman Niall McDonnell will also be moving to Beechgrove. They are also talking to at least one other high profile North West player. 

The signings are a huge statement of intent from Brigade, who were largely in the doldrums in 2008 and 2009 after dominating North West Senior One for much of the last decade.  It is the signings of Thompson, Britton and potentially McDonnell that are the most eye-catching. Thompson had been Glendermott’s talisman for the last eight seasons, after he had moved from home-town club Donemana. 

Thompson, who will share the new ball duties with veteran Mark Simpson and bat in the middle order, informed the hierarchy at The Rectory in the last fortnight that he would be leaving Glendermott for their arch rivals. 

Bready acknowledged some time ago that they had lost the battle to keep Britton at Magheramason. The spin bowler, at one time on the fringes of the Ireland team, will form a formidable partnership with Iftikhar Hussain. He had also been linked with NCU clubs Carrickfergus and CIYMS before Christmas but Beechgrove was always his likely destination.

McKeegan meanwhile returns to Beechgrove after Killymallaght announced they wouldn’t be competing in North West Senior One this summer. A fine wicket-keeper and top order batsman, he had a previous spell with Brigade. 

McDonnell burst back onto the North West scene last summer after returning to Northern Ireland after a long spell living overseas. The aggressive left-handed opener scored more than 750 runs, was named in the News Letter team of the year and earned selection for Ireland A. 

The News Letter understands that Strabane have made a last-ditch bid to keep the player at Strabane Park, but he is expected to give Brigade an answer within days. 

Next season looks like being a mouth-watering one in the North West with Brigade back in the mix. They lost the 2008 Senior Cup final to Limavady, but disappointed in the league that summer and were largely anonymous mid-table finishers last season. They are sure to be among the top contenders in 2010.

Brigade have confirmed one high profile departure. Gordon Cooke, the former Ireland international, has joined Senior Two club Drummond.