The season may be only five weeks old – but it’s already crunch time in the ECB Southern Premier League with South Wilts and Havant set for their first ‘old firm’ showdown of the campaign.
Their meeting at Bemerton will not decide the championship – but, provided there’s a positive outcome, there’s an opportunity for one of the ‘big two’ to make a break at the top.
The Wilton Road meet-up is the first of nine Time pennant competition matches each club will play.
And that’s an area of the game four-time champions South Wilts thrive in – with seven ‘time’ pennants in the past eight years.
With Tom Morton gone to Ealing – but currently sidelined with a dislocated shoulder – and left-arm paceman Ryan Duffield regaining his Western Australia contract, South Wilts are arguably not as strong as in 2015, when they celebrated their most recent league and t20 cup double.
But, like Havant, they’ve won their opening three games, with a two-point gap edging South Wilts into second place.
Apart from Rob Gibson, who will return shortly from his Durham University studies, Havant are at full strength, with Eddie Abel a ‘possible’ to return for South Wilts, who expect Army all-rounder Stephen Booth back.
Havant’s in-form captain Ben Walker regards the South Wilts visit as a ‘big test’.
“This will be our biggest examination as a group of players yet this season,” he said.
“It’s good that we are going into the game in such good form.
“We have been second best to them in recent times and they have shown everyone else how it should be played.
“Our aim is to set out to win games whatever the format and will play as aggressively as we can to try and achieve that.
“In this all-day format though there will be times when we may have to sit tight and take what we can.”
South Wilts skipper James Hayward acknowledges: “These are the type of games you look forward to and enjoy playing in.
“There is a massive about of respect between the sides. We’ll play hard and sit down and enjoy a beer together after.”
South Australian left-hand opener Jake Winter will want to celebrate his 19th birthday with a major contribution.
South Wilts: Hayward, Abel, Wade, Winter, Mynott, Cranch, Hibberd, S Pittman, Booth, Franklin, Warner, Pain, Evans.
Havant : Walker, Hopson, Gorvin, Ransley, Stone, Gadd, Hindley, Bulled, Vanderslick, Morgan, Atkins.
Captain Simon Beetham admits the loss to injury of all-rounder Ryan Scott is a bitter blow to Lymington as the ECB Southern Premier League season kicks up a gear.
Scott could be out for around six weeks with a hamstring problem which he sustained during their defeat by South Wilts seven days ago, writes Ned Payne.
The 21-year-old retired hurt before later returning to the crease with a runner in an attempt to help Lymo to victory – but the hosts fell 10 runs short.
Wimborne-born Scott’s spell on the sidelines will also be a tough pill for Dorset to swallow given his key role in the county’s flying start to the campaign.
Speaking ahead of the Winchester trip to St Cross Symondians (11.30), Beetham said: “Ryan reckons he could be out for six weeks-plus, which is not ideal at this stage of the year.
“He is a big player for us and it is a loss but we have a good squad so we should be able to fill that number three spot and get on with it.
“He will be sorely missed while he is out, on and off the field.
“We have quite a young squad that gets on well and he is a good laugh, so it will be shame not to have him around.”
Lymington’s visit to St Cross is part of the first round of time games in the Southern Premier League’s top flight, with the 50-over format being left behind.
In the absence of the sidelined Scott and Chris Blake, Tom Atkins and the evergreen Neil Trestrail come into the side.
St Cross Symondians, who nicked a one-wicket win off the Hampshire Academy last week, are bolstered by the return of Channel Islander Matt Stokes, who won the Player of the ICC World League tournament playing for Guernsey last week.
But they must do without Jack Bransgrove and opener Dan Young, but Kent’s Adam Rouse plays again.
St Cross Symondians: Taylor, Ayres, Farooq, H Foyle, Hollins, Kimber, Marsh, Rouse, T Foyle, Stokes, Worker.
Lymington: Hand, McManus, Lock, Ellis, C Grierson, Atkins, Beetham, Calcott, Metcalfe, Freeman, Trestrail.
Skipper Mike Porter has emphasised the urgent need to get back to winning ways as Bashley Rydal) prepare to travel to the Ageas Bowl Nursery to play Hampshire Academy.
Bashley have suffered back-to-back defeats to Alton and Havant, while the clash against Burridge in between was cancelled.
Previewing the fixture, Porter said: “It’s a game we see as a must win.
“We don’t want to get into a little bit of a bad streak and get drawn down the table. At the start of the season, we would have looked at the game against the Academy as a win.
“When you are playing against the Academy, they have got so much talent but you always feel you can rattle through them purely because they are young, so with our spin that’s what we will try and do.”
Although selected, Gavin Bailiff cannot bowl due to a side strain so Kevin Nash has been brought in.
Evergreen opener Neil Thurgood sits out the match through suspension.
Academy: J Weatherley, B Duggan, T Scriven, F Organ, J Goodwin, J McCoy, M Kantolinna, C Searle, G Pardoe, M Drakeley, R Hipwell or J Campbell.
Bashley (Rydal): Gates, Jacques, Porter, Bailiff, Ridley, Watkins, Neal, Digby, Thomson, Lilley, Nash.
Hampshire’s Ryan Stevenson has been pencilled in for a potential Burridge debut against Ventnor – a revenge match for the mainland side who were knocked out of the ECB Royal London Cup at Steephill last month.
But Burridge are purring in the Premier Division and will be disappointed if they don’t make it four wins in a row at Newclose.
Burridge: Ankers, Hewitt, Steward, Collings-Wells, Dods, Stevenson, Savident, Richards, Houlton, Stancliffe, McMurray.
New Milton are unchanged for the Fernhill home clash against Alton with batsman Tom Arnold – fresh from his call-up by Dorset – again due to feature.
Milton are still searching for their first win of the season following promotion last term and get their first taste of all-day cricket against Alton, who thumped Bashley (Rydal) last week.
New Milton: Arnold, Wakefield, N Park, J Park, Haggaty, Edwards, L Beck, Elliott, Loader, Watts, Gargaro.
Their meeting at Bemerton will not decide the championship – but, provided there’s a positive outcome, there’s an opportunity for one of the ‘big two’ to make a break at the top.
The Wilton Road meet-up is the first of nine Time pennant competition matches each club will play.
And that’s an area of the game four-time champions South Wilts thrive in – with seven ‘time’ pennants in the past eight years.
With Tom Morton gone to Ealing – but currently sidelined with a dislocated shoulder – and left-arm paceman Ryan Duffield regaining his Western Australia contract, South Wilts are arguably not as strong as in 2015, when they celebrated their most recent league and t20 cup double.
But, like Havant, they’ve won their opening three games, with a two-point gap edging South Wilts into second place.
Apart from Rob Gibson, who will return shortly from his Durham University studies, Havant are at full strength, with Eddie Abel a ‘possible’ to return for South Wilts, who expect Army all-rounder Stephen Booth back.
Havant’s in-form captain Ben Walker regards the South Wilts visit as a ‘big test’.
“This will be our biggest examination as a group of players yet this season,” he said.
“It’s good that we are going into the game in such good form.
“We have been second best to them in recent times and they have shown everyone else how it should be played.
“Our aim is to set out to win games whatever the format and will play as aggressively as we can to try and achieve that.
“In this all-day format though there will be times when we may have to sit tight and take what we can.”
South Wilts skipper James Hayward acknowledges: “These are the type of games you look forward to and enjoy playing in.
“There is a massive about of respect between the sides. We’ll play hard and sit down and enjoy a beer together after.”
South Australian left-hand opener Jake Winter will want to celebrate his 19th birthday with a major contribution.
South Wilts: Hayward, Abel, Wade, Winter, Mynott, Cranch, Hibberd, S Pittman, Booth, Franklin, Warner, Pain, Evans.
Havant : Walker, Hopson, Gorvin, Ransley, Stone, Gadd, Hindley, Bulled, Vanderslick, Morgan, Atkins.
Captain Simon Beetham admits the loss to injury of all-rounder Ryan Scott is a bitter blow to Lymington as the ECB Southern Premier League season kicks up a gear.
Scott could be out for around six weeks with a hamstring problem which he sustained during their defeat by South Wilts seven days ago, writes Ned Payne.
The 21-year-old retired hurt before later returning to the crease with a runner in an attempt to help Lymo to victory – but the hosts fell 10 runs short.
Wimborne-born Scott’s spell on the sidelines will also be a tough pill for Dorset to swallow given his key role in the county’s flying start to the campaign.
Speaking ahead of the Winchester trip to St Cross Symondians (11.30), Beetham said: “Ryan reckons he could be out for six weeks-plus, which is not ideal at this stage of the year.
“He is a big player for us and it is a loss but we have a good squad so we should be able to fill that number three spot and get on with it.
“He will be sorely missed while he is out, on and off the field.
“We have quite a young squad that gets on well and he is a good laugh, so it will be shame not to have him around.”
Lymington’s visit to St Cross is part of the first round of time games in the Southern Premier League’s top flight, with the 50-over format being left behind.
In the absence of the sidelined Scott and Chris Blake, Tom Atkins and the evergreen Neil Trestrail come into the side.
St Cross Symondians, who nicked a one-wicket win off the Hampshire Academy last week, are bolstered by the return of Channel Islander Matt Stokes, who won the Player of the ICC World League tournament playing for Guernsey last week.
But they must do without Jack Bransgrove and opener Dan Young, but Kent’s Adam Rouse plays again.
St Cross Symondians: Taylor, Ayres, Farooq, H Foyle, Hollins, Kimber, Marsh, Rouse, T Foyle, Stokes, Worker.
Lymington: Hand, McManus, Lock, Ellis, C Grierson, Atkins, Beetham, Calcott, Metcalfe, Freeman, Trestrail.
Skipper Mike Porter has emphasised the urgent need to get back to winning ways as Bashley Rydal) prepare to travel to the Ageas Bowl Nursery to play Hampshire Academy.
Bashley have suffered back-to-back defeats to Alton and Havant, while the clash against Burridge in between was cancelled.
Previewing the fixture, Porter said: “It’s a game we see as a must win.
“We don’t want to get into a little bit of a bad streak and get drawn down the table. At the start of the season, we would have looked at the game against the Academy as a win.
“When you are playing against the Academy, they have got so much talent but you always feel you can rattle through them purely because they are young, so with our spin that’s what we will try and do.”
Although selected, Gavin Bailiff cannot bowl due to a side strain so Kevin Nash has been brought in.
Evergreen opener Neil Thurgood sits out the match through suspension.
Academy: J Weatherley, B Duggan, T Scriven, F Organ, J Goodwin, J McCoy, M Kantolinna, C Searle, G Pardoe, M Drakeley, R Hipwell or J Campbell.
Bashley (Rydal): Gates, Jacques, Porter, Bailiff, Ridley, Watkins, Neal, Digby, Thomson, Lilley, Nash.
Hampshire’s Ryan Stevenson has been pencilled in for a potential Burridge debut against Ventnor – a revenge match for the mainland side who were knocked out of the ECB Royal London Cup at Steephill last month.
But Burridge are purring in the Premier Division and will be disappointed if they don’t make it four wins in a row at Newclose.
Burridge: Ankers, Hewitt, Steward, Collings-Wells, Dods, Stevenson, Savident, Richards, Houlton, Stancliffe, McMurray.
New Milton are unchanged for the Fernhill home clash against Alton with batsman Tom Arnold – fresh from his call-up by Dorset – again due to feature.
Milton are still searching for their first win of the season following promotion last term and get their first taste of all-day cricket against Alton, who thumped Bashley (Rydal) last week.
New Milton: Arnold, Wakefield, N Park, J Park, Haggaty, Edwards, L Beck, Elliott, Loader, Watts, Gargaro.