It’s a far cry from the days when Test great David Boon would stride out to bat for Launceston with purpose.

But the debut appearance away to Kingborough will be the first opportunity for talent from the North and North-West to prove their worth in the Cricket Tasmania Premier League to mount a stronger case for higher state honours.

Officially contracted as the director of coaching, Tim Coyle was nearly the first person to jump on board when the Greater Northern Raiders concept was given the green light as the ninth team in the competition.

“It’s a really good initiative – one that is really needed in the North of the state, I reckon,” Coyle says.

“It provides incentive for players and sets a really clear pathway to be recognised.

“Hopefully we can fast track some players from this system into the next level.”

The one-time Tasmanian gloveman that made his name at Launceston was part of the old set-up.

The days when the NTCA and NWCU were equivalent to the TCA in Hobart.

Many aspiring cricketers have relocated to Hobart to follow ambition, but Coyle says many others have have slipped through the cracks.

“We’re coming from a long way back, with the level of competition and standard of play in the North and the North-West over the last 10 years has declined,” he says.

“There’s no doubt about that – you have to be honest and that’s what it is.

“This is one way – it’s only one way – to try and fix that.

“We now have a team for players to aspire to. We’ve got a tougher competition now, so they’ll be tested and we’ll see what we’ve got.”

Richard Bennett has let his talking in the game point to a sound playing career for Tasmania from 1984-92, later turning his hand to coaching Launceston.

But underneath wearing the two caps he was most passionate about, there has been a burning ambition to see the game north of Campbell Town advance.  

“We hadn’t sensed there was any opportunity until a road trip in November [last year] and then when it was signed off by the board in December, I certainly knew if we didn’t jump at it straight away that the opportunity would never arise again,” he says.

Bennett had expected the Raiders would start in one format of the game, but Cricket Tasmania chief executive Nick Cummins backed in the new entity for a full rookie season.

He says building a brand that extends right down to the fashionable orange, silver and charcoal colours that resemble the AFL Giants of a similar name is about long-term thinking but with short-term goals.

“We need to be competitive enough to make sure that it is ongoing,” he says.

“We can measure our wins in many different ways, but on the park from the start we need to be competitive.”

Journeyman Andrew Gowers could well be the perfect man to unite players from 11 partisan club sides.

Bringing in not only Coyle to oversee the program, but former Sheffield Shield players Roger Brown, Dane Anderson and Evan Gulbis should bring inexperienced players up to speed. 

“I think having that specialist coaching makes a difference,” Gower says.

“Having access to do some one-on-one stuff with the batters and having Evan with the bowling group has made a helluva difference.

“They’re learning what it’s about to play up to first-class cricket – it is similar preparation to first-class cricket in the premier league.”

Gower said the preseason together has only solidified the group further.

But with just two T20 clashes to prepare their wares, the coach was not concerned the Raiders will head in underdone.

“Just because you’re in Hobart doesn’t mean you get access to Bellerive facilities,” he says.

“Everyone has the same access to us that you don’t get access to outdoor nets at this time of the year.

“So the hard yards have been done indoors and from there we can tweak our preparations for the opener.”

Miles Barnard has made a name for himself in the state as a member of the two-time NPL premiers Devonport Strikers.

The 27-year-old Raiders captain will look to apply that appeal to a statewide competition to his new side.

“It’s obviously going to be a step up for most as a whole, but the exciting thing is when you’re stepping up a level you don’t know how you’ll go,” Barnard says.

“Some guys lift their game and others may struggle, but that is the great unknown.”

Racking up 500 kilometres every second week for his soccer team, Barnard had no hesitations in joining a side to represent the whole of Northern Tasmania. 

“A part of the reason why I am playing this is to try and do right by cricket in the North and North West because there has been a lot of rumbling for years about how unfair it is, true or not, that people have to move south to play,” Barnard says.

“We’ve now been given an opportunity to have our own team and pathways for the guys in the north.”