Brown Hill has sprung a handful of surprise recruits and looks set to surge up the Ballarat Cricket Association first grade ladder in season 2019-20.

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The Bulls, which finished last campaign in eighth spot, secured past BCA Melbourne Country Week representative Prabath Priyankara from Melton, who then helped lure friends Imesh Udayanga and Viraj Pushpakumara from Sri Lanka.

Both Udayanga and Pushpakumara have played first class cricket in their home country and shape as big signings for the Bulls.

Brown Hill veteran Ryan Knowles said Udayanga, who was part of Sri Lanka's 2008 Under-19 World Cup squad, was an all-rounder who bowled off spin, while Pushpakumara was a leg spin option.

The trio headlines some good inclusions for Brown Hill, which will be skippered by Tom Bourke-Finn this season.

Darley looks to be one of the main contenders for the premiership this season after landing a stack of key recruits.

Perhaps the most exciting of those is fast bowler Madushanka Ekanayaka, who has joined from Bacchus Marsh.

Ekanayaka is fresh off winning the Gisborne and District Cricket Association's best and fairest medal.

Another major recruit is wicket-keeper/batsman Anthony Taylor, who has officially made the switch from BCA rivals Napoleons-Sebastopol.

Englishman Harry Killoran will return to the club in 2019-20, while former West Indies international Danza Hyatt is also back after playing the second half of last campaign.

There's not a great deal of movement at reigning premiers East Ballarat, but there is plenty of excitement at Ballarat-Redan around the recruitment of English player Sam Burgess.

Burgess is a top-order batsman and off spin bowler, who has been playing second grade County Championship cricket with Kent.

Over at Buninyong, which is preparing for its second season in the BCA's top division, there's good opinions of all-rounder Maykan Schama, while the loss of past EJ Cleary Medal winner Matt Ringin is a big blow.

Dual EJ Cleary Medal winner Matt Goonan has declared himself available for Mt Clear's 2019-20 first grade campaign.

The gun top-order batsman has played sparingly in recent seasons, but is committed to helping the Mounties back to the Ballarat Cricket Association summit.

He is the major inclusion for the side which finished as minor premiers last season before being bundled out in the semi-final.

Darcy Thomson will again captain the team, which has lost Curtis Townrow for at least the early part of the campaign.

Wendouree has landed perhaps the biggest pre-season signing of them all.

Sam Miller, who was a first grade premiership player with Wendouree in 2008-09, is back at the club after a long stint interstate.

The 31-year-old spent time with the ACT Comets in the Futures League and then managed some Sheffield Shield and one-day games for South Australia.

Miller also represented the Prime Minister's XI in a clash against England in 2011, playing alongside the likes of current Australian captain Tim Paine, Brett Lee and Usman Khawaja.

Napoleons-Sebastopol failed to win a match last season and has recruited well in its bid to rise up the table in 2019-20.

Wicket-keeper/batsman Ollie Rogoff and pace bowler Harry Pierson are both out from the UK, while Tarkyn Balzan and Sajith Dissananyaka are expected to add depth to the first grade side, which is without top bat Anthony Taylor, who is at Darley.

Golden Point has kept together a relatively stable squad from the one that was beaten in a semi-final last season, but has regained the services of leading all-rounder Andy Warrick.

Warrick is a two-time premiership winner with the Pointies, but had a season with Essendon in the Victorian Premier Cricket competition in 2018-19.

North Ballarat fell agonisingly short of a premiership last season and will again be guided by skipper Leigh Lorenzen.

The Roosters have lost key figures Connor Miles and Janath Tissera, but are pleased with the signings of bowler Jackson Hayes and all-rounder Haydn Smith.

Chris Egan

BALLARAT-REDAN

Last season: ninth

Captain/coach: Chris Egan

Key arrivals: Sam Burgess (overseas), Billy Jones (South Barwon), Nathan Patrikeos (returning)

Key departures: Jackson Hayes (North Ballarat), James Doherty

Tom Bourke-Finn

BROWN HILL

Last season: eighth

Captain: Tom Bourke-Finn

Coach: leadership group

Key arrivals: Prabath Priyankara (Melton), Imesh Udayanga (Sri Lanka), Viraj Pushpakumara (Sri Lanka), Kento Dobell (Wendouree), Siddharth Rajesh (Wendouree), Billy Hoye (returning)

Key departures: Paul White (Dunnstown), Nathan Clarke (Beaufort)

Liam Brady

BUNINYONG

Last season: sixth

Captain/coach: Liam Brady

Key arrivals: Maykan Schama (Purnim)

Key departures: Matt Ringin (not playing)

Harry Killoran

DARLEY

Last season: seventh

Captain: Brad Barnes

Coach: Brian Wheelahan

Key arrivals: Madushanka Ekanayaka (Bacchus Marsh), Anthony Taylor (Naps-Sebas), Harry Killoran (overseas), Ashley Appleby (Werribee Centrals), Rahmatullah Khwaja (Werribee Centrals), Jake Wilkie (returning), Hayden Jamieson (returning)

Key departures: Michael Alexander (not playing)