The Ladycross outfit, who have been champions in four of the past eight seasons, finished third last year behind Redruth and champions Penzance.
However the signing of the left-arm spinner is a real statement of intent.
Libby, 31, has taken well over 700 wickets in all competitions for clubs including St Austell, Callington and Truro as well as in Minor Counties cricket for Cornwall, and is also a handy left-handed batsman.
Club captain Paul Smith was delighted with the capture.
He said: “I’m over the moon that we’ve been able to bring Andy in, he’s the sort of signing we’ve been looking for. It’s great to be able to attract a player with such a great record in Cornwall and for the county.
Smith believes that he’ll seamlessly fit into the dressing room.
He said: “He’s played with most of us for Cornwall so he’ll fit in really well. Bowling wise he brings a very economical ten overs each week and has a proven strike-rate on the wicket-taking front. It gives us a lot more strength in the bowling department and will enable us to take more wickets through the middle overs.
“That’s not only crucial for bonus points but will also help keep the run-rate down to a minimum.
“Batting wise our order is very flexible. Our top seven can go in in pretty much any order, so whether he goes in at the top or slots in further down, it gives us a bit more strength in depth.
“Over the past few years we’ve been crying out for a decent left-arm spinner, so we feel that its very handy to have someone that turns the ball away from the right-handed batsmen, which poses a completely different challenge to the three very good spinners we have at the moment.”
Libby is relishing the opportunity to push for the Premier League crown, something he’s yet to win.
He said: “I want to be at a side competing for the title, and with a couple of additions we should be pushing Penzance. I’ve played with half a dozen of them for Cornwall and Smithy and Tom Dinnis for the last two or three years, so in the end it was quite an easy decision. It’s a beautiful country ground and although being a spinner, I’ve been hit over the hedge here a few times, it’s a great place to play.
“They’ve been on at me over the last two or three years about coming and I’ve always been quite tempted. I know they’re always amongst it at the right end of the table. I’ve never won the Premier League and that’s one of the main reasons Paul got me here.
“I’ll be looking to bring a bit of variation. At the moment there are three right-arm off-spinners whereas I’m left-arm. I’m also looking to bring a lot to the changing room with my county experience.”
Libby admits that although he’s opened the batting in recent years for St Austell as well as at Truro last term, he’s focused on getting amongst the wickets.
He added: “I know I’ll have to work my way up the order but that’s not really my concern.”
With Libby joining the off-spinning trio of Ben Smeeth, Adam Hodgson and Matt Robins, Smith believes that he has all options covered.
He said: “We have six or seven bowlers that we can utilise throughout a game, which gives us options to rotate as and when necessary depending on whose bowling well and also flexibility as to whether we’re bowling first or second.
“Also another important thing is the condition of the pitch. I can see Andy having a massive influence away from home as Werrington notoriously doesn’t offer a huge amount of turn, but our home record is always strong.”
Australian fast bowler Jono Baldock has been the club’s overseas fast bowler for the last two years, and with him unlikely to return, Smith is eyeing up a replacement.
He said: “We’re looking to add another seamer to our attack. We have a number of possibilities but the most likely option will be an overseas player.
“With four spinners we do have those to fall back on, but early wickets are always important and with Sam Hockin potentially unavailable for some games, a lot will rely on the shoulders of Tom Dinnis and Dan Barnard. So if we can bring in an extra seamer, we’ll be happy.”
With the seconds staging a remarkable late turnaround to avoid relegation from County Division One, Smith admits that the club are looking for signings to help the rest of the club.
He said: “As a club we feel it’s a lot more feasible to strengthen in the higher teams and then that obviously filters down into the thirds and fourths.
“We’re hoping to create a winning mentality throughout the club, which will hopefully enable each team to challenge, as opposed to just survive.”
Although the season doesn’t start for nearly five months, preparations will start just a few weeks after Christmas.
Smith said: “Winter nets start in January so we’ll be looking to get a good attendance early on. We need to make sure that come April we hit the ground running because in previous seasons we’ve got off to slow starts. Starting the season quickly will give us momentum for the rest of the year. We want to challenge for the league and it’s a lot harder to do that after a slow start, which puts you behind the eight-ball.
“In previous years when we have won the league, we’ve gone on winning runs of seven or eight games which have proved instrumental in taking the title, so that’s what we need to do from the outset.”
Libby was welcomed to the club at their annual general meeting at Werrington Park on Monday, November 4.
Chairman Richard Jenkin said: “We thanked everyone for their work on and off the pitch over the last 12 months.
“There were three key changes. Liz Hodgson is the new president, Richard Stanbury has stood down as treasurer with Ian Gribble taking that on and Lucy Warring is the new secretary following Linda Cobbledick’s decision to step down.
“2019 was a successful year and we’ve already started planning for 2020. I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support.”
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