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Manx Cricket roars into action on Sunday - and it should be a stunning season.

 On the International Scene, the Island will be playing in the European Championships in Belgium during August. The Under 19 squad go to the Channel Islands, the Under 15s will be in Spain and the Under 13s travel to Guernsey.

 The big news on the Domestic Scene comes from Castletown. The winners of the Standard Bank League have boosted their squad with three new signings.

 Jamie Tomlinson and John Short have moved from Crosby and Mark Williams has left southern rivals Valkyres to join the Town.

 That gives skipper Greg Tomlinson an incredibly powerful line-up - and also possibly a headache. How will he fit these new players into a side already bursting with talent?

 All eyes will be on Gareth Morris to repeat his brilliant form of last year and Garreth Roome will pose a threat to all batsmen. Wicus Wessels, Christian Steriopulos, Andy Sewell, Andy Cross and Dave Griffiths are all players who would walk into most sides on the Island.

 The potential is there to win all the trophies, but will the team employ a rotation policy to fit everybody in?  Their first test will come this Sunday when they face the Rest Of The Island.

 This is the Manx Challenge, the traditional opening match when the previous year's champions take on a strong Island eleven. However, with so many internationals in the Castletown line-up, this could be more than a gentle friendly and a truly fiery start to the season.

 The Town's main rivals will again be St Johns who will field an almost identical squad to 2006. This is the team which won both senior Cups and the Cain League. Captain Jon Norrington is confident of more success and it will be a brave man who will bet against the Saints.

 Crosby had a good 2006, but will obviously miss Tomlinson and Short. It will be a time when the youth players will get an extended run in the top eleven. Watch out for good performances from the likes of Danny Kniveton, Ross Berry and Ollie Swales.

 Added pressure will fall on the more experienced members of the side. Skipper Kevin Quine will be looking for plenty of runs from Simon Watson, Gareth Rowlands and Richard Macnee.

 For wickets the spotlight will be on Kevin himself, Dave Picken and probably a return to the front line for David Quayle, A top four spot is in the offering and possibly a good cup run.

 Ramsey should do better than last season's fifth place in the Karran. They to will be hoping that their excellent youth policy will now pay off.

Rob Webber, Chris McConnell and Ollie Webster will be battling away. Everybody will be hoping Eddie Cleator stays free from injury and that Adam Peel can maintain his excellent form.

 Cronkbourne supporters are expecting a great improvement this year. Bottom spot in the Standard Bank league did not do justice to the team.

 Steve Cope has recovered from the injuries which blighted his efforts last season and is raring to go. He will form a potent opening attack with the reliable Neil Holmes.

 Pete Richards, Max Stokoe and Steve Clague should be in the runs and the ever dependable Graeme Garrett will add backbone to the middle-order. Led again by Phil Richardson, Cronkbourne could be the surprise package of 2007. 

 The club with most worries at the moment is Valkyres. Over the winter Nick Yates and Peter Norris left for foreign climes while Mark Williams has moved to Castletown. An added blow is that Geoff Thomas will be unavailable.

 Keith Brew returns as Captain and will be hoping for star performances from those reliable players Mark Riley, Andy Coulson and Brian Quirk. Dave & Seb Hopkins will be in the frame as will Mike Ellis and veteran Graham Cain. It is also a big opportunity for youngsters Bryn Snellgrove and Darren Cain, but it could be a long hard summer for the Southerners.

 In the MAC Financial evening leagues all eyes will be on the promotion battle in the Forrester One. Ronaldsway and Union Mills are expected to be the main contenders, but fans in the Sunset City tip a rejuvenated Peel to top the table.

 Jim Murphy will skipper the Western team and his all round performances will be crucial. Sean Crossley takes over the reins at Ronaldsway, but all will fear the Millers. Their fortunes will be bound up with the form of Johnny Palmer. A few of his "special" innings can spell big trouble for all the other clubs.

 Little new information has come out of Jurby where the Grasshoppers should settle into a mid-table slot. Matt Greenbank is the key to their fortunes.

 The Loaghtyn Rams caused a stir when they were promoted from the Forrester Two in their first year. Life will now be much tougher in their new league, but expect Simon Beard's men to survive.

 The Finch Hill faithful hope the move to the new ground at Garey Mooar will revive the club's on-field fortunes. Their rivals for promotion are likely to be Cronkbourne "C" who only just missed out last season.

 But both clubs need to keep an eye on Vagabonds. They had an impressive campaign in their first season as well and could be up their with the leaders. Nigel O'Reilly is the big influence here.  

 The Collins Stewart Tinker Cup is wide open. Holders St Johns face a tricky away tie against the winners of the Cronkbourne-Union Mills match. The other favourites, Castletown, will fancy their chances at home against the Loaghtyn Rams.

 In the Isle Of Man Bank Blincoe Cup most people expect Ronaldsway to reach the final. The key will be a very dangerous first round clash with Ramsey.

 If they survive, one of their main opposition should be Peel who will be expected to beat Finch Hill. Another contender is Union Mills, but they must first beat Castletown "B" - not an easy task.

The Lloyds TSB Junior leagues could be dominated by Castletown and Cronkbourne. The Douglas side hold the Under 15 and Under 11 titles, while the Southerners claimed the Under 13 honours.

Crosby are expected to push both clubs hard, but don't write off the chances of Finch Hill who could surprise many. St Johns and Ramsey are also likely to be in contention.

 The juniors are also in for a treat this week-end when two top coaches from Derbyshire CC are on the Island to run special training sessions. Howard Dytham, the performance manager at the county's Academy, will be joined by Michael Glenn, another first-class coach.

 The sessions will be held at the NSC, mainly for the Under 15 squad players, but also some of the Under 13 side. Howard will major on batting and bowling techniques plus a special emphasis on fielding. This is a marvellous opportunity for the juniors to learn from one of England's best instructors.