Bert Sutcliffe, Stephen Boock, Mark Richardson and Neil Broom have all played club cricket for North East Valley.
But despite some big names gracing the field, the club has won the senior banner just four times since it was introduced in 1920.
North East Valley enjoyed a purple patch in the late '70s and early '80s, winning three titles in five years. But the club last won the senior competition 1995-96 and has had some lean years in recent times.
Clubs like Green Island and Taieri have been dominant but the resurgence of Kaikorai and North East Valley last season has seen the normal order reversed.
Strong performances have restored some belief in the camp, senior captain Jamie Murley says.
The medium-pace bowler is part of a group of core Valley players who have been around the club scene long enough to know how the season might unfold.
There is genuine, if understated, excitement about the summer months ahead.
"We haven't performed to the standard we would have liked but the last few years we've been a bit more positive and I think the results have shown that," Murley said.
"Previously, we've had university students coming and going and you never had the same team each week, whereas the last couple of years we've had the same guys playing each week. So we've been able to build a good team environment and have a big bunch of guys who have been playing together for a while now."
Murley (31) reckons he is in at least his 10th season. His younger brother Simon Murley (28), who is playing cricket in the United Kingdom and will miss the early rounds, also has plenty of cricket behind him.
Russell Thomas, Anthony Wilkinson, Florian Schmidt, Jerram Bateman and Jessie Ruwhiu complete a seasoned-looking crew, while the likes of exciting batsman Lance Taylor and young fast bowler Sam Blakely complement the squad nicely.
Taylor scored his maiden 100 last year and Blakely is on the fringe of the Otago side. He is part of a new generation of emerging bowlers in the region which include Jacob Duffy, Marcus Frost and Blair Soper.
Otago representatives Jimmy Neesham, Neil Broom, Darren Broom and Derek de Boorder will make cameo appearances for Valley at the beginning of the season before provincial duties call.
It is a decent squad and Murley said the aim was to go one better than last season and win the Bing Harris Shield.
"Since I've been involved we haven't won it, so it is certainly an aim for us. Obviously, going to Auckland [for the finals of the national club tournament] is a lot of fun. We went maybe 10 years ago and it was a really good trip and it would be good to qualify and take some guys away to experience that."
The club season begins today with North East Valley playing Taieri at Memorial Park in a one-day match.
Carisbrook-Dunedin plays University-Grange at Bayfield, Albion is hosting Green Island at Culling Park and Kaikorai will travel to Alexandra to play Otago Country at Molyneux Park.
There are two full rounds of one-day cricket. It runs through to February when the competition switches to declaration cricket.
The season ends on March 23.
The Bing Harris Shield will be presented to the club with the most combined points from the one-day and declaration tournaments.
Otago Country will play in the first round of the one-day tournament as part of its preparation for its Hawk Cup campaign.
The club twenty/20 tournament will be held across two Saturdays and a couple of Friday nights, and the franchise cricket competition has been canned after fours years due to declining interest from the clubs.
2012-13 squads
Kaikorai
2011-12: Champion
Gains: Hamish Robertson, Jacob Duffy
Losses: Scott Hunter, Scott Hawkins
Squad: Iain Robertson (captain), Matt Hunter, Dan Duke, Hamish Robertson, Craig Sneddon, Ricky Black, George Inwood, Ryan Duffy, Tim Muir, Geordie Scott, Will Deerness, Sam McConville, Laxman Popli, Colin Aitken, Jacob DuffyCoaches: Chris Knox and Will Deerness
Albion
2011-12: Sixth
Gains: Daniel Ingham, Charlie McLean, Michael Sneddon, Matt Brown, Mike Lawrence
Losses: Daniel Ford, Ollie Newton, Paddy Cairns, Shaun Haig
Squad: Jamie Glenn, Sam Ward, Nick Beard, Mark Craig, Neil Wagner, Nathan McCullum, Andrew Prouse, Dion McCall (captain), Brendon McCullum, Nathan Sims, Josh Cuttance, Tom Dixon, Tim Heller, Mark Somerville, Matt West, Mitch Ryan, Nathan Shanks, Mike Lawrence, Michael Sneddon, Daniel Ingham, Charlie McLean, Matt Brown, Blair Brown, Tim FordCoach: Tony Branks
Carisbrook-Dunedin
2011-12: Third
Gains: Brayden Lindsay, Hayden Croft, Anthony Sewell
Losses: James Welch, Rob Polson, James Hogg
Squad: Tony McEntyre (captain), Brad Rodden, Tim McCormick, Nick Eathorne, Matt Lobb, Sean Moran, Jordy Horrell, Rhys Phillips, Louis Tomlin, James McAuslan, Tom Hills, Dan Willemsen, Andy Sarman, Michael Higgins, Tom Rutherford
Green Island
2011-12: Fourth
Gains: Ant Harris, Ben Patston, Ben Hitchcock
Losses: Jordan Sheed
Squad: Hamish Rutherford, Gregor Croudis, Anthony Harris, Mark Joyce (captain), Scott Simpson, Henry Blackwell, Ben Patston, Jamie Munro, Ben Hitchcock , Ben Williamson, Russell Ritchie, Blair Soper, Dion Lobb, Freddy Klassen, Nathan Watt, Mike Hawkins
North East Valley
2011-12: Second
Gains: Charlie Hendry (Kaikorai)
Losses: None
Squad: Jamie Murley (captain), Anthony Wilkinson, Lance Taylor, Sam Blakely, Florian Schmidt, Jerram Bateman, Jessie Ruwhiu, Simon Murley, Keegan Harrison, Dan Power, Russell Thomas, Nick Pearse-Smith, Charlie Hendry, Jimmy Neesham, Neil Broom, Darren Broom, Derek De Boorder, Issac Gutschlag, Will Kindley, Jens Moller, James Brinsdon, Ted HaggasCoach: Jerram Bateman
Taieri
2011-12: Seventh
Gains: None
Losses: Anthony Harris, Ryan Senior
Squad: Ash Simpson (captain), George Spittle, Corey Hart, Tim Clydesdale, Toby Batchelor, Dwayne Weir, Tony Hannagan, Duncan Anderson, Logan Smart, Matt McCallum, Michael MacKenzie, Ben Kidston, Callum Egen, Clint Hayward, Simon Cromarty, Matt BruceCoach: Michael MacKenzie
University-Grange
2011-12: Fifth
Gains: None
Losses: Craig Smith, Mitch Rutherford, Steve Jakeway, Alistair Collie
Squad: Jesse Simpson (captain), Michael Bracewell, David Goddard, Aaron Redmond, Cam Rutherford, Ian Butler, Jamie Gibson, Sam Wells, Angus Reid, James McMillian, Michael Haddleton, AJ How, Jason Hynes, James Bishop, Tim O'Sullivan
Otago Country
Gains: Blair Bennington, Mark Phillips, Kyle Hinton.
Losses: Brendon Domigan, James Pyle, Fraser Wilson, Ben Purvis
Squad: Blair Bennington, Blair Brown, Bradley Frost, Brayden Hill, Cameron Rutherford, Eric Standfield (captain), Jarred Andrew, Jonathan Homer, Kieran Parker, Kieran Eathorne, Kyle Hinton, Lance Taylor, Liam Crowley, Marcus Frost, Mark Phillips, Michael Collins, Ross Anderson, Sam Blakely, Scott Paulin, Sean Moran, Sean Windle, Will Young
Note: Placings refer to Bing Harris Trophy only. Names supplied.
