HIGH Wycombe CC have had a busy winter as they remould their squad ahead of the 2011 Home Counties Premier League season.

Last year the club made a disastrous start and needed a late spurt to climb away from the relegation zone, but director of cricket Keith Newell believes the comings and goings during the close season stand them in good stead.

The most high-profile arrival is destructive batsman James Benning.

Benning returns to Wycombe after seven years in the professional game playing for Surrey and Leicestershire, and anyone who was at London Road when he demolished the Lashings attack in 2008 will know exactly what to expect.

Opening against an international attack of Akram, Cairns and Mongia, Benning plundered six sixes and 13 fours in a breakneck innings of 125 in 75 balls.

He eventually retired to give other players a go, but the damage was done.

Newell said: “He’s a fantastic asset to the club and strengthens us in every department – batting, bowling and fielding.”

Wycombe’s batting will also be improved by the arrival of Alex Jewell from Aston Rowant.

He scored 325 runs in a relegation team last year and the batsman/keeper arrives as a replacement for David Cranfield-Thompson, who may or may not move to Australia.

Newell said: “With Aston Rowant getting relegated, Alex was happy to continue playing at the top level.

“If David goes to Australia that leaves us open in a key position, if he doesn’t we’ll have two quality keepers to pick from. But David is good enough to play in the team just as a batter.”

With run-machine Matthew Eyles again set to open and batsman Rob James joining after moving down south, Wycombe don’t look short of runs.

However, they looked light with ball in hand last season and with back up bowlers Simon Bird (retiring), Dan Senior and Matt Thompson (both moving away) no longer part of the equation, the Warriors could struggle to finish off teams again.

The arrivals of Daniel Mather (pace bowler), Jonathan Cockroft (leg spin) and Phillip Allen (seamer) could ease the pressure.

Newell said: “If they all come I think we’ll be fine.

“Batting-wise I think we’re very strong and the competition for places is going to be very strong.

“We’re probably a little bit shy on the bowling side but we’re in touch with a couple of options and we’ve been approached by one other player, but he’s only come to one net so far though.

“They’re all first team players and we hope to get at least one of them.”

With the fixture list throwing up just about the toughest start they could get – away to Oxford on May 7 and home to champions Henley the following weekend – Wycombe will probably need all the bowlers they can get to avoid a second calamitous start in a row.

Newell said: “After last year we owe the club and members a bit more now.

“Matthew (Eyles) would echo that, he is used to success and is a bit down about last year.

“We lost three or four games in a row and maybe because we hadn’t been in that position before we were like rabbits caught in the headlights.

“We could’ve fallen on our faces, but we made plans to get out of it and it worked and we gained a lot of confidence from the second half of the season.

“Players started to play to their full potential and we started to win games. Hopefully that will continue.”