Previous captain Ant Limn will have been happy with the work of new Hurricanes' skipper Mike Jones at last week's Windmill Whack Draft Night.  The Canes' picked up the Whack crown in 2022 and 2023, and with Limn moving to the vice-captain role for 2024 other sides may have been sensing their chance to take the title in 2024.  Jones however retained and recruited shrewdly during the 90 minute drafting process to ensure his side will start the competition as favourites.  Here we take a look at all of the squads for this year's events:

HURRICANES
New captain Jones already had a strong base having retained Shafiq Rahman, Tom Daniels and Gus Siggins, as well as reliability through himself, Ant Limn and Mike Larke.  Adding Pulkit Gupta was a shrewd move, and managing to pick up Mit Shah as a colt was also a real bonus, probably down to other captains being to many pints in to realise he was still not picked with only two rounds of junior picks to go.  Aalok Latey and Shrey Shah provide experience with the ball while Ben Calder often saves his best performances for the Whack:

M Jones (capt)
A Limn (vice capt)
T Daniels (ret)
S Rahman (ret)
G Siggins (ret)
M Larke (ret)
T Larke (ret)
P Gupta
R Bannister
J Brooks
M Ahmad
H Lawes
W Court
S Shah
A Latey
L Hodgkiss
N French
J Harris
M Shah
R Smallman
B Calder
A Bottoms

ELITE EAGLES
The Eagles look likely to push for the title once again after a solid evening (in the absence of skipper Dan Tyler).  Tyler was another to keep a good balance of flair and reliability with his retained list, as Alan Ison, Ben Hamberger and Adam Overton were amongst those kept on.  Surrey League's Nicky Ison is brought in and Mark D'Cruz was a shrewd pick, while three time Whack winner Paul Middlemiss was added and two time champion Rob White also adds experience.  Youngster Ollie Clarke gives all round options while Jake Eade, Jake Giddings and Matt Malby show there is room for a few mavericks within the squad:

D Tyler (capt)
R Mack (vice capt)
A Ison (ret)
B Hamberger (ret)
M Burch (ret)
A Overton (ret)
S Hammond (ret)
D Simpson
P Middlemiss
O Clarke
N Ison
R White
I Horsley
M Mccarthy
R Savidge
R Roper
W Frost
C Hughes
P Thompson
M D'Cruz
J Eade
M Malby
J Giddings

MULLIS MONARCHS
A new approach was needed after last year's disastrous campaign so James Burchell has been brought in as captain, but unfortunately last year's skipper Craig Grote was still in charge at Draft Night!!! Burchell had already cleverly retained Andrew Berry, Billy Wright and Terry Wyatt, as well as Grote, which means he had a solid core before the night began.  Whack legend Harry Jenkins was probably the pick of the evening, and Jenkins' Dad Ron was also made a Monarch as he comes out of retirement for this year's competition.  Stan Moore and Joshan Narbheram could prove to be great picks while Ollie Peck and Dave Brown add further experience.  There are three father/son combos in the squad, a new competition record, and it would be a surprise if the Monarchs don't improve on last year's showing with this squad:

J Burchell  (capt)
S Simmons (vice capt)
T Wyatt (ret)
A Berry (ret)
B Wright (ret)
C Grote (ret)
O Hinton (ret)
H Jenkins
J Narbheram
S Moore
O White
H Bradford
T Cargill
O Peck
S Narbheram
K Bannister
D Brown
R Partner
R Brown
R Jenkins
M Hortop
P Scott
L Williams

KUSHOOM BUGH TIGERS
Skipper Alex Ward left assistant Rob Healy in charge for the evening, but Ward had already retained John Curtis and James Evans, as well as giving youngsters Freddie Williams, Dylan Mansell and Kieran McWilliam another season to show what they can do.  Nehal Butt was an early and excellent pick while Adam Quested and Kevin Roome add plenty of know-how.  Ryan and John Oakes are another father and son combo in the same squad, while the Mayor and King brothers mean there is very much a family feel to this group:

A Ward (capt)
R Healy (capt)
F Williams (ret)
D Mansell (ret)
K McWilliam (ret)
J Curtis (ret)
J Evans (ret)
N Butt
R Oakes
O Burley
R Mayor
K Roome
J Warren
A Quested
M Ingleson
Z Lawes
J Mayor
A Nakkeera
J Oakes
S Richardson
G King
T Hilson
H King

GOVANI MAESTROS
The Maestros look set to entertain again in 2024, although they have already fallen to defeat in the competition's opening game having lost out to the Firebirds in yesterday's (Sunday's) opener.  A strong retained list of Stu Connor, Nick O'Dell, Fenton Everingham, Ian Munn and Michael Pedrick gives the Maestros strength and reliability, especially as former freelancer Paul Burley becomes vice-captain as well.  The Big Show, Josh Lamont, has a somewhat underwhelming Whack record for a man of his ability so will have a point to prove, while Iron Mike Rath and Scott Fisher give further quality.  Franchise owner Karim Govani remains with the Maestros while Matt Chapman was a canny late selection.  One of only two franchises to remain under the same ownership since 2016, can the Maestros pick up the crown in 2024:

J Tolan (capt)
P Burley (vice capt)
S Connor (ret)
N O'Dell (ret)
F Everingham (ret)
I Munn (ret)
M Pedrick (ret)
J Lamont
C Moore
P Gulvin
M Rath
K McNeela
E Lowrie
S Fisher
J Morley
T Waters
T Young
H Hanlon
M Chapman
D Triggs
R Calder
G Walshe
K Govani

APPLE FINANCE FIREBIRDS
Another franchise to have remained under the same stewardship throughout every year of the competition, "The Birds" started the 2024 season with a fine win over the Maestro's yesterday.  Skipper Max Carter-Miller was looking focussed and driven at Draft Night, alongside vice-captain Jamie Green, and it paid off with a solid looking squad put together.  Three Kullars, two Berrys and two Twines were retained or picked up, while Aki Rahman could prove to be an excellent signing. Ollie Dignam will be hoping his early season form continues in the Whack while Aedan Daly and Leo Fezvi-Hunt have all-round capabilities:

M Carter-Miller (capt)
J Green (vice capt)
E Berry (ret)
K Kullar (ret)
A Kullar (ret)
S Twine (ret)
R Taylor (ret)
C Berry
N Brown
O Dignam
A Rahman
I Twine
A Daly
S Wright
A Ajmani
R Satheeskumar
B Kullar
O Ward
L Fezvi-Hunt
J French
M Gordon
D Cowley
Z Suneel