Joseph will travel to Australia with his partner in early September and then join the Roosters for pre-season training.

The 25-year-old is a top order batsman and off-spinner, who hails from Cwmbran in South Wales.

Joseph has spent the last three years playing for Truro Cricket Club in Cornwall Premier League and Cornwall Minor Counties.

“Happy to be part of the North set up for the 2018-19 season,” Joseph said in a post on the North Ballarat Facebook page and website.

“Looking forward to joining a competitive team and hoping to help the club go one further this season.”

Last season was a big one for the Roosters, which made a long-awaited return to first grade finals.

North Ballarat finished the home and away rounds in fourth spot on the ladder before being beaten by eventual premiers Golden Point in a semi final.

Adam Eddy has handed the captaincy over to all-rounder Leigh Lorenzen for the upcoming campaign.

Despite not serving as captain, Eddy will continue as senior coach of the club.

Lorenzen, who has skippered the first grade side in the past, had a big influence in 2017-18. He made 457 runs – at an average of 45.7 – in first grade games and took five wickets.

Eddy was upbeat about the impact Joseph would have on the side this season.

“He’s supposed to be pretty handy,” Eddy said.

North Ballarat’s first game this season is against Wendouree on Saturday, October 6.

The BCA’s new fixture will see clubs play five-straight one-day matches to start the year, before three Twenty20 rounds. After that, the two-day games kick off on December 1.

Buninyong is the new team in first grade competition, meaning there is no longer a bye in the BCA’s top division.

The Bunnies’ first match for 2018-19 is against Napoleons-Sebastopol.