Will Bond is keen to continue leading by example as Hambledon prepare for a Southern Premier League Division 2 two trip to Southampton Waterside to face Fawley.
Bond made a winning start to life as skipper of the Ridge Meadow club, striking a classy 85 as the Dons overcame Bashley (Rydal) II on opening day last weekend.
But the man who replaced Rob Atkins at the helm insists he would be happy to trade big runs for victories as he praised the batting firepower in his side.
Bond said: ‘I was very pleased with how we started the season last weekend and it was nice to contribute, personally, and get some runs. It’s nice to take responsibility once you get the captaincy, so hopefully I can carry on doing that.
‘I would definitely like a century but the most important thing is that the team wins – if we do that then I don’t really mind if I don’t score any! Fortunately we have a lot of good batsmen in the top order so I am sure I won’t have to do it every week – someone else will step up.’
Teenager Spencer Leclercq (41) impressed in the middle order last time out and is a player Bond has high hopes for – much like opening batsman George Marshall.
He added: ‘Spencer is coming along really well. He is pretty young and it was his only his first season in the first team last year. He is very consistent so hopefully he carries that on all year in the middle order, which would be invaluable.
‘Elsewhere, George has a lot of firepower at the top of the order – it doesn’t always come off but when it does it is pretty devastating for the other team. ‘Hopefully that will come off at Fawley – it is usually a good batting deck over there.’
South African all-rounder Shane Nkomo flew into Hambledon (well, LHR actually) yesterday morning and within hours of arrival was practicing in the Ridge Meadow nets.
Newly promoted Trojans look to build on the confidence gained from their opening day win over Paultons when they visit Bashley (Rydal) II.
Skipper Ed Boyd led from the front, scoring 98 to set up a hefty 115-run win. Bashley lost their opener at Hambledon, but are strengthened by the return of Dorset seamer Jake Lilley.
Bashley (Rydal) II: Morris, R Taylor, Maher, Lewis, Macciocchi, N Taylor, Grierson, Lilley, Read, Gates, O’Sullivan. Trojans: Boyd, Williams, Pope, Mahmood Ul Hassan, Truscott, Le Bas, Wright, Donaldson, Freeman, Mohammed, Wazir.
Paultons have experienced a lean start with that Trojans defeat coming on the back of a swift Village Cup exit at Sparsholt.
Skipper Tony Richman will demand an improved batting performance when on-song Tichborne Park come visiting Whitemoor Lane.
Tichborne, in contract, have begun well, with what may prove a significant 63-run win at much fancied Sparsholt last week when Queenslander Justin Reid hit 85.
Tichborne Park: W Allam, J Long, J Skinner, J Bristow, E Berry, T Allam, M Cheyney, B Allen, A Pond, J Reid, G Ayling.
Sparsholt skipper Andy Worth gives a vote of confidence with an unchanged side against the young South Wilts team which smashed the Hartley Wintney attack for a massive 393-3 last week.
South Wilts, who were Division 3 champions last season, are boosted by the return of spin all-rounder Paul Draper, whose teenage son Ben will be behind the stumps at Locks Lane.
Sparsholt: A Worth, R Kenway, S Tognarelli, D Banks, T Foster, J Frith, Ruffell, D Gough, J Vokes, N Doubell. A Gough. South Wilts II: Pearce, Phillips, Cowley, B Draper, Pittman, Arnold, Wall, Pain, P Draper, Marc Burton, Matt Burton.
Calmore Sports, who began with a tight call win over Fawley at Loperwood Park, list the same team for the visit to shell shocked Hartley Wintney. Calmore have resisted a strong call-up call from left-hander Callum Holloway, who hit 99 for the seconds last week.
Calmore Sports: Lavelle, Goodrich, Johns, Moss, Perry, Hardy, Rose, Pegler, West, Proudley, Wright.
There will be no ‘Mash’ on the menu at Lapstone Park, but Bass is an alternative.
Fair Oak must do without their leading wicket-taker Andy Mash for the Lapstone Park ‘return home’ visit of Hursley Park.
Last season’s leading Hampshire League bowler, with 38 wickets, is wedding bound, so Nick Bass, who played well in the seconds defeat at Hythe & Dibden last week, gets the call.
Oaks pair Ed Kemp and skipper Tom Hockenhull hit centuries in their side’s 359-run glut at Havant, but are unlikely to find the Hursley attack so charitable.
Hursley Park are looking to avoid a second consecutive defeat, having lost their opener at Langley Manor.
Fair Oak: T Hockenhull, G Stewart, E Kemp, R Oxley, A Sturman, A Abbas, S Freemantle, R Featherstone, R Stewart, N Bass, J Featherstone.
The Manor host newly promoted County Division 1 runners-up Ryde, who make a delayed SPL entry after last week’s game with Basingstoke & North Hants II fell foul of an unfit pitch.
Lymington II, who ran up a powerful 293 against Waterlooville on day one, take a potentially strong side to Gosport Borough, who went down to St Cross Symondians II.
Lymington II: Kelly, Robinson, Sutherland, Atkins, C Moors, Willoughby, K Moors, Layman, Gabb, Robertson, Hunt.
Bond made a winning start to life as skipper of the Ridge Meadow club, striking a classy 85 as the Dons overcame Bashley (Rydal) II on opening day last weekend.
But the man who replaced Rob Atkins at the helm insists he would be happy to trade big runs for victories as he praised the batting firepower in his side.
Bond said: ‘I was very pleased with how we started the season last weekend and it was nice to contribute, personally, and get some runs. It’s nice to take responsibility once you get the captaincy, so hopefully I can carry on doing that.
‘I would definitely like a century but the most important thing is that the team wins – if we do that then I don’t really mind if I don’t score any! Fortunately we have a lot of good batsmen in the top order so I am sure I won’t have to do it every week – someone else will step up.’
Teenager Spencer Leclercq (41) impressed in the middle order last time out and is a player Bond has high hopes for – much like opening batsman George Marshall.
He added: ‘Spencer is coming along really well. He is pretty young and it was his only his first season in the first team last year. He is very consistent so hopefully he carries that on all year in the middle order, which would be invaluable.
‘Elsewhere, George has a lot of firepower at the top of the order – it doesn’t always come off but when it does it is pretty devastating for the other team. ‘Hopefully that will come off at Fawley – it is usually a good batting deck over there.’
South African all-rounder Shane Nkomo flew into Hambledon (well, LHR actually) yesterday morning and within hours of arrival was practicing in the Ridge Meadow nets.
Newly promoted Trojans look to build on the confidence gained from their opening day win over Paultons when they visit Bashley (Rydal) II.
Skipper Ed Boyd led from the front, scoring 98 to set up a hefty 115-run win. Bashley lost their opener at Hambledon, but are strengthened by the return of Dorset seamer Jake Lilley.
Bashley (Rydal) II: Morris, R Taylor, Maher, Lewis, Macciocchi, N Taylor, Grierson, Lilley, Read, Gates, O’Sullivan. Trojans: Boyd, Williams, Pope, Mahmood Ul Hassan, Truscott, Le Bas, Wright, Donaldson, Freeman, Mohammed, Wazir.
Paultons have experienced a lean start with that Trojans defeat coming on the back of a swift Village Cup exit at Sparsholt.
Skipper Tony Richman will demand an improved batting performance when on-song Tichborne Park come visiting Whitemoor Lane.
Tichborne, in contract, have begun well, with what may prove a significant 63-run win at much fancied Sparsholt last week when Queenslander Justin Reid hit 85.
Tichborne Park: W Allam, J Long, J Skinner, J Bristow, E Berry, T Allam, M Cheyney, B Allen, A Pond, J Reid, G Ayling.
Sparsholt skipper Andy Worth gives a vote of confidence with an unchanged side against the young South Wilts team which smashed the Hartley Wintney attack for a massive 393-3 last week.
South Wilts, who were Division 3 champions last season, are boosted by the return of spin all-rounder Paul Draper, whose teenage son Ben will be behind the stumps at Locks Lane.
Sparsholt: A Worth, R Kenway, S Tognarelli, D Banks, T Foster, J Frith, Ruffell, D Gough, J Vokes, N Doubell. A Gough. South Wilts II: Pearce, Phillips, Cowley, B Draper, Pittman, Arnold, Wall, Pain, P Draper, Marc Burton, Matt Burton.
Calmore Sports, who began with a tight call win over Fawley at Loperwood Park, list the same team for the visit to shell shocked Hartley Wintney. Calmore have resisted a strong call-up call from left-hander Callum Holloway, who hit 99 for the seconds last week.
Calmore Sports: Lavelle, Goodrich, Johns, Moss, Perry, Hardy, Rose, Pegler, West, Proudley, Wright.
There will be no ‘Mash’ on the menu at Lapstone Park, but Bass is an alternative.
Fair Oak must do without their leading wicket-taker Andy Mash for the Lapstone Park ‘return home’ visit of Hursley Park.
Last season’s leading Hampshire League bowler, with 38 wickets, is wedding bound, so Nick Bass, who played well in the seconds defeat at Hythe & Dibden last week, gets the call.
Oaks pair Ed Kemp and skipper Tom Hockenhull hit centuries in their side’s 359-run glut at Havant, but are unlikely to find the Hursley attack so charitable.
Hursley Park are looking to avoid a second consecutive defeat, having lost their opener at Langley Manor.
Fair Oak: T Hockenhull, G Stewart, E Kemp, R Oxley, A Sturman, A Abbas, S Freemantle, R Featherstone, R Stewart, N Bass, J Featherstone.
The Manor host newly promoted County Division 1 runners-up Ryde, who make a delayed SPL entry after last week’s game with Basingstoke & North Hants II fell foul of an unfit pitch.
Lymington II, who ran up a powerful 293 against Waterlooville on day one, take a potentially strong side to Gosport Borough, who went down to St Cross Symondians II.
Lymington II: Kelly, Robinson, Sutherland, Atkins, C Moors, Willoughby, K Moors, Layman, Gabb, Robertson, Hunt.