Isle of Wight cricket and Shanklin in particular has been shocked and numbed by news of the sudden death of Dave Porter, a Westhill legend, while on a New Year break in Tenerife.
A hard hitting left-hand top order batsman and left-arm slow bowler, Dave was one of the best known Island cricketers, scoring some 30,000 runs in his long career with Shanklin. A partner in the Watson, Bull & Porter estate agency, he represented the Isle of Wight throughout his career and, after hanging up his boots, went on to umpire for the Westhill club when they joined the Hampshire League.
[Note: This is a 'holding' tribute, which will be expanded later this week.]

Hampshire pair Ian Holland, with an undefeated 199, and county team-mate Lewis McManus produced their best performances of the winter season in the Victorian Premiership in Melbourne.
Skippering his home town club Ringwood, Holland smashed the Franklin Peninsular attack for an unbeaten 199, hitting eight sixes and 15 fours, having shared a 77-run opening stand with Joe Weatherley (27), whose arrival in Australia was delayed because of visa complications.
Ringwood went on  to post a powerful 324-5 before Holland took up the ball and, bowling his medium-pace, took 3-18 as Franklin were dismissed for 180.  Ringwood won by 144 runs.
Across the city, Lewis McManus hit 74, but in a losing cause for Camberwell Magpies (158) against Greenvale Kangaroos (183-9).  The young Hampshire gloveman struck two sixes and seven fours. 
Hampshire youngsters Felix Organ and Tom Scriven were in a defeated Broadbeach Robina in Queensland's Gold Coast League.
That losing trend continued for South Wilts pair Ben Draper and Luke Evans, whose adopted Parkdale side was thrashed by seven wickets by Bentleigh in the Southern Bayside competition.
St Cross Symondians all-rounder Jack Bransgrove (2-38) took two Werribee wickets with the new ball for Brighton, but his side (which included Calmore's Ben Johns) lost by 29 runs. 
Two former Southern Premier League Aussies were in the runs when Woodside played Glenelg South Australia's West End Premiership. Former Bashley (Rydal) all-rounder Tom Andrews blasted 170 in Woodside's 390-8, but South Wilts 2016 recruit Jake Winter did even better, his monster 233* sweeping Glenelg to victory !

 

ECB Southern Premier League secretary Nick Gargaro has stepped down from his position as General Secretary (due to a recent change in his job role) after 14 months behind the keyboard.
It leaves the Southern Premier League with a significant and immediate challenge and the need to appoint a replacement as soon as possible
SPL chairman Steve Vear MBE said: "First and foremost I would like to thank Nick for his service as an officer of the league over the last 12 months.
"Speaking personally, I was only happy to step up as Chair once I knew that someone so capable as Nick was willing to succeed me.
"The role of General Secretary is vital to the success of the league and is not a role that can be absorbed by any of the current team. As I am sure you can appreciate, it is difficult to use words that accurately describes the important contribution a Secretary makes.
"Having said that, this role is not something that can only be done by someone with unlimited time available. I for example held this position for 14 years while balancing a career and other voluntary responsibility."
Persons interested in the role of Southern Premier League General Secretary are invited to contact Steve Vear (steve@vear.co.uk), who can provide a job description and further information.

Sibonelo Makhanya, Basingstoke & North Hants' overseas player in 2018, has celebrated  his maiden century in South African franchise cricket - but his final day hundred was not enough to save the Hollywoodbets Dolphins as they slipped to a heavy nine-wicket loss to the bizhub Highveld Lions at Kingsmead in Durban.
The right-hander made 128 (230 balls, 17 fours) as the hosts were dismissed for 319 in their follow-on innings, leaving the visitors a victory target of just 46.
And the Johannesburg-based side, whose ranks included former Ventnor and Hambledon star Nono Pongolo, knocked off those runs in 14.1 overs to reignite the title race by putting pressure on the log-leading World Sports Betting Cape Cobras.
Makhanya previously made 86 and three half-centuries for the KZN outfit. 

Rowledge stalwart Peter Brindsen was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the New Year's Honours, principally for his services to the Farnham community, which has included being chairman of the Governers at Weydon School and voluntary work at the town's Citizen's Advice Bureau.
In a glowing tribute, Rowledge vice-chairman Chris Yates said: "Pete has been a fantastic servant to RCC for nearly 20 years and was chairman for a period of that time.
"His relentless work has seen the club grow hugely since 2000. Whether it is juniors or seniors, Pete is a supporter and attends as many games as he can even now.
"He lives within 100 yards of the ground and is always up at the club game or not.
"He has seen through the upgrade of the pavilion and the huge drainage project of the outfield which he spent countless hours along with others to complete the Sport England grant application and work completion.
"He has done so much for the whole community and has improved the whole Cricket Club through his knowledge and sheer persistence."
Runners-up last season, Rowledge are back in Southern Premier League Division 1 this coming season. They now boast a staggering 250 junior members.

Prominent past Gosport sportsman and politician Peter Edgar has been awarded the OBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to education and to the community in the Borough.
A meticulously correct batsman, he opened for Gosport Amateurs and later Gosport Borough in the heydays of the Deanery, Old Tauntonians and Trojans. A talented sportsman, he played Hampshire League soccer for Fareham Town and Gosport Borough, and after he had hung up his boots became joint manager of the Borough.
A long standing member of Gosport Borough Council - he was the town's Mayor in 1997/98 - and past executive member for education on Hampshire County Council, he still maintains an active interest in Gosport cricket, often attending home matches at Privett Park, besides away games. His recognition with an OBE is considered by many to be long overdue.

ECB Southern Premier Cricket League chairman Steve Vear has been made an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for his voluntary service in Hampshire.
Prior to being elected chairman, Steve was league secretary for almost 13 years and has been a popular scorer on the Southern League for 25 years.
Reflecting on his love of cricket, Steve said: “I began scoring matches after my PE teacher once taught me how to score and then the opportunity came up to be even more involved with cricket and give something back to the sport I began to love.”
He has also been a secretary of the Winchester Cricket League and is a trustee of the University of Winchester Student Union.
For 14 years, Steve has also volunteered with the Samaritans in Salisbury, first acting as a listening volunteering and then as chair of the branch.
“Emotional health is really important, certain groups of people find it difficult to talk about their feelings and open up, but they reach out to us.
“Samaritans takes thousands of calls every single months and I’ve spoken to a lot of people over the years and it has changed as we now answer emails and text messages.”
On top of these roles he has been a magistrate since 2010 and is now Chair of the Bench at Basingstoke Magistrates Court.
He is also a school governor at Lymington House in Basingstoke, having previously been the same position at Clatford Primary School, and is a presenter on Castledown FM.
Steve carries out his various volunteering roles alongside a full-time as a head of resource management at an exam board and in despite of his disability.
He was born with cerebral palsy which impacts his ability to walk, stand and undertake other regular duties – but he said his disability does not define him.
“Being born with a disability, volunteering is about giving back and helping people that have helped me through my life.
“I do struggle with things like balance and walking distances but I’ve just got to make sure that when I go to events I can park close and know where I’m going.
“It is not without its challenges but I don’t let it dictate how I live my life.”
Steve said that he found out about the honour five weeks ago and has had to keep it secret since.
“I’ve been an emotional wreck, it is something that happens to other people not people like me.
“It is a shock and it is still I shock, I won’t quite believe it until I go to the investiture. I am so humbled by it.”
He was nominated for the title by his sister, Amy Bailey. He said: “It is very surreal, it is an honour and a privilege. It is very touching that my sister and other people wanted me to be recognised.”

Former Hambledon star Simon Milenko and Will Bosisto, who spent an injury dogged summer with Totton & Eling in 2013, hit the winning runs for their respective franchise sides in the festive Big Bash League matches in Australia.
Milenko, Hambledon’s overseas player in 2007, hit a boundary off the first ball of the final over as Hurricanes successfully chased down Sydney Thunder’s 193-6 to win by seven wickets at Hobart.  England captain Joe Root and Joss Buttler, who smashed 89, played for Sydney, while Hobart’s side also included one-time Fawley recruit Alex Doolan.
Will Bosisto, left, whose 2013 season at Southern Gardens was fragmented due to a serious ankle injury, hit an unbeaten 36 to guide Perth Scorchers to victory after 2018 BBL champions Adelaide Strikers had been rushed out for 88. 
Another former Totton & Eling star, Cameron Valente scored 21 after Adelaide had slumped to 46-7 at a packed Opus Perth Stadium.
Other Australian based former Southern League cricketers playing in the current Big Bash, include Glenn Maxwell (late of South Wilts) skippering Melbourne Stars and Gosport Borough’s Chris Lynn wearing the captain’s armband for the Brisbane Heat. 
Jordan Silk, who spent a soggy summer with Burridge as a teenager, is with Sydney Sixes, while Ventnor’s Travis Head will play for Adelaide Strikers once the Australia-Indian Test series is finished.

Hampshire Academy talent Tom Prest has been named as the county’s Under-15 Cricketer of the Year.
The Canford School prospect is pictured with the silver Peter Lewin memorial salver, awarded annually to the top player in the Under-15 junior age group.
Prest, from Wimborne, captained Hampshire to the ECB Under-15 Cup quarter-finals this past summer, scoring almost 450 runs, including centuries against Gloucestershire (109 not out) and Surrey (105).
One of the Academy’s eight strong intake for 2019, he also took 11 wickets with his off-spin and snapped up seven catches.
His all-round performances earned subsequent selection for the South & West at the Bunbury Festival and contributed with bat and ball as his side won both the 50-over and T20 competitions.
He made several ECB Southern Premier Division appearances for the Academy last summer, top scoring with 81 in a narrow 14-run defeat by runners-up, Burridge in July.
Alongside Hampshire's Joe Weatherley, new boy Harry Came and Fletcha Middleton, Prest recently spent ten days at a “thoroughly rewarding” batting clinic at India’s historic Brabourne Cricket Stadium in Mumbai.  He is currently combining his GCSE studies at Canford with training at the Ageas Bowl.

The Home Office has announced significant changes with respect to the definition of professional/amateur sportsmen, to take effect from 10 January 2019 and will affect all visas applied for and issued after that date. Those issued prior will need to adhere to the immigration policy that was in place at time of issue.
The headline changes are that the Professional Sportsperson definition has been amended regarding the introduction of time lapse provisions. To see the full definition please see page 4 & 5 of the 'Statement of Changes' document.
In brief, a person can revert to “amateur”, if they have not: 
• Been registered to a Professional or Semi Professional team, including an academy and development age groups, within the last 4 years.
• Represented a Nation or National team, including all youth and development age groups from U17 upwards, within the last two years.
• Engaged an agent or representative with the aim of finding opportunities as a sportsperson, and/or developing a current or future career as a sportsperson, within the last 12 months.
• Received payment, including payment in kind for playing or coaching that is covering all, or the majority of their costs for travelling to, and living in the UK, or who has not done so within the last 4 years.
An addition to the definition is to include those who have an established International reputation in their chose field of sport. For example, those who only play T20 in the Big Bash & IPL and who do not play any other type of cricket. Will be classified as a Professional Sportsperson.
The Governing Body Endorsement criteria for the player/coach or coach only for the 2019 season is now on-line and found on this link: www.ecb.co.uk/governance/regulations/governing-body-endorsement?utm_campaign=1372279_
Notes:
The ECB is not registered to give advice on immigration. Information on aspects of immigration policy and law can be found on the Home Office website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-introduction? 
The ECB stress it is essential for clubs to comply with the published Visa policy and clubs receiving non-EEA migrants must abide by these rules.   The policy is written for all sports. It is not cricket specific.
A professional/semi-professional outfit in cricket is a team that has first-class status even if the matches in which the individual plays are not classified as first-class. Including U17 and above and Academy matches.

gSt Cross Symondians will open their ECB Southern Premier League title defence against the Hampshire Academy at the Green Jackets Ground on Saturday May 4.
They then visit Havant and Bashley (Rydal) in 50-over matches before hosting Alton on May 25.
Newly promoted Bournemouth, this year’s Division 1 champions, make their first Premier Division appearance in five seasons against Basingstoke & North Hants at May’s Bounty on May 4.
In the other curtain raiser games, Alton host South Wilts, Bashley (Rydal) play Burridge and Havant entertain Lymington.
Sparsholt, who dominated Division 2 cricket this past summer, face a tough SPL1 baptism against Sarisbury Athletic at the Norman Edwards ground, while runners-up Rowledge receive relegated New Milton.
Ventnor face the long trek to Andover, OTs & Romsey play Portsmouth and Calmore Sports host Hook & Newnham Basics in arguably Division 1’s match of the day at Loperwood Park.
Runaway SPL3 champions Fair Oak face a similarly demanding start against Langley Manor at Lapstone Park, while runners-up South Wilts II entertain Paultons.  Relegated Hartley Wintney are paired at home to St Cross Symondians II, with 2018 Lord’s National Village Cup finalists Liphook & Ripsley at home to Basingstoke & North Hants.  Title favourites Waterlooville have a comfortable start at Totton & Eling.
Hampshire League champions Hythe & Dibden begin life in Division 3 with a Jones Lane visit from relegated Tichborne Park, with fellow promoted side Fareham & Crofton facing a tough baptism against Portsmouth & Southsea at Bath Lane.
Hambledon begin with a visit from Bashley (Rydal) II, Purbrook take on Trojans and Lymington seconds receive Fawley.
The Southern Premier League’s 18-weeks season ends on August 31.

Hampshire’s Academy side is set to play its opening four matches of the ECB Southern Premier League season on the Isle of Wight’s Newclose ground, on the outskirts of Newport.
With the Ageas Bowl being closed for any domestic cricket for the duration of the ICC World Cup, the Academy will host Bashley (Rydal) and Basingstoke & North Hants in 50-over pennant games on Saturdays May 11 and 25, and then entertain Bournemouth (June 8) and Burridge (June 22) in all-day Time matches.
The Academy will return to their normal Nursery Ground base for the visit of Premier Division champions St Cross Symondians on July 6.
Hosting four Premier Division matches is another boost for Island cricket, which will host its first four-day County Championship match on May 20, when Hampshire play Nottinghamshire.
There is also Second XI Championship cricket at Newclose in late April.

Former Pompey and Hampshire cricketer Mike Barnard, a past BBC Radio Solent commentator, has passed away at the age of 85.
Born in 1933, the former Portsmouth Grammar Schoolboy was an all-round sportsman and represented both his home town and county in the sports he loved – football and cricket.
He made his Hampshire debut as a 19-year-old right-handed batsman in 1952 and went on to make 285 appearances, between 1952 and 1966, totalling 9,629 runs for the Club with a first-class best of 128*.
Barnard was an important part of the 1961 County Championship winning side - he struck his second career Championship century against Warwickshire, before adding half-centuries against Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire shortly after in the closing weeks of the season to help Hampshire claim their first title.
He was also an effective occasional medium-pace bowler - picking up 16 wickets at an average of 35.18 - as well as an excellent slip fielder, finishing his career with 312 catches.
Hampshire Chief Executive Rod Bransgrove reflected: “Mike Barnard was an immense character and remains an indelible part of Hampshire Cricket history.
“His playing record will be documented elsewhere but as an individual he embodied all the qualities we aspire to; courage, positivity, commitment, compassion and fun.
“Despite awful injuries sustained in a road traffic accident in Germany in the 60’s, Barney never complained and retained his positive and cheerful demeanour at all times.
“He was a regular at ex-players reunions and always enjoyed the camaraderie of his peers and teammates. He will be greatly missed by us all.
‘My thoughts, and those of everyone associated with Hampshire Cricket, are with all Mike’s  family and friends at this difficult time but none more so than Emma, John and Robert, whose love and dedication to their father was an example to us all.”
                                                                      Creative inside forward
As a footballer, Barnard made his Pompey debut in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham in 1953. That led to a six-season association with the Fratton Park outfit, racking up 123 appearances and 26 goals for the club.
The creative inside forward, whose football and cricket commitments often overlapped – he would miss pre-season training with the Blues and be absent for the close Hampshire’s season – departed Pompey at the end of the 1958-59 season, having played regularly in the same team as Jimmy Dickinson, Ray Crawford, Derek Dougan, and Peter Harris.
He signed for Southern League Chelmsford, but the aim was to concentrate on his cricket – a career he extended until his retirement in 1966. Three years later, a serious coach crash robbed him of much mobility.
He later worked at the School of Navigation in Warsash, was a regular cricket commentator alongside John Hughes with BBC Radio Solent, and for the Southampton Hospitals.
He also took up bowls, worked on drug testing with the sports council, organised the reunions of Pompey’s footballers and Hampshire’s cricketers, and bore his injuries with incredible fortitude and cheerfulness.
South Coast Panel umpire Ian Bagshaw, a working colleague of Mike’s at Warsash, added: “As much as the cricket and football world will miss him, there are thousands of professional mariners around the world who will also mourn his loss.
                                                             Renowned all-round sportsman
‘Students gave him 100 per cent support in all that he arranged for them whether cricket, football or rugby.  He put in a prodigious amount of work on their behalf and they were grateful.  With the short periods that they had in college, without Mike, our Sports Officer, there would have been no sporting activity as they would not have had the time to arrange anything and they would have been back at sea before being able to benefit.’
In a moving tribute, his son John (capped by England Schools and played Southern League cricket for Old Tauntonians), Mike was described as a ‘truly great example of humanity’.  He was a renowned all-round sportsman, perhaps even the last of those who made significant appearances in the top echelons of professional cricket and football.                                                       
‘He was also a truly great example of humanity to everyone who knew him. Mike was involved in a major RTA nearly 50 years ago which left him horribly and permanently injured.  Most people would have been left with mental scars to match their physical injuries. In Mike’s case he used his athleticism and will do attitude not only to fight his way back to his feet but to achieve so much as a husband, father, teacher and sports commentator.
‘He never bemoaned his misfortune or muttered a word of his constant pain. Instead he adopted a permanently positive attitude and searched for the best in every situation. It wasn’t until later in life that his children realised that he lived his life by the Rudyard Kipling poem “IF”. As a family, the Barnards will all miss him very much, as will his many friends and admirers.
‘He never gave up and even at the end he thought he could still play for the draw!
‘Mike Barnard was not just a man but a giant of a man, and someone who today’s overpaid “superstar” sportsmen could learn a lot from.’

Nono Pongolo produced two stunning match winning performances to guide his franchise side Jozi Stars into the final of South Africa’s inaugural Mzansi Super League (MSL) and an eventual comprehensive eight-wicket win over the Cape Town Blitz in front of a 12,000 Newlands crowd.
The 29-year old all-rounder, who spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons at Ventnor and subsequently played for Hambledon, maintained a relatively low profile in the final, sending down two overs and catching out Farhaan Behardien as Cape Town struggled to 113-7, a target Stars’ breezed past.
But in the lead-up MSL games, he took a career-best 6-20 against Tshwane Spartans (England one-day captain Eoin Morgan was among his victims), before becoming the six-hitting hero of Stars’ dramatic one-wicket win over Kyle Abbott’s Durban Heat.
Needing 12 runs to win off two deliveries to pass Durban’s 128 (Kagiso Rabada 3-29), Pongolo crashed consecutive sixes off Marchant de Lange to pull off a miraculous one-wicket win, which earned Stars’ a home tie in the semi-finals.
Pongolo first hammered a waist-high full toss for a six over backward square in the penultimate ball of the 20th over, but the umpire called it a no-ball for height.
With the equation drastically changed - from 12 off two balls to only five off two - Pongolo clattered the next delivery, a free hit, over fine leg to script a remarkable come-from-behind win that left the Kingsmead  crowd shocked.
Earlier this season, the former Southern Premier League all-rounder helped his Gauteng provincial side with the Africa T20 Cup and in late October took a then professional best 6-22 against Free State.

The Southampton Midweek Evening Cricket League - www.secl-online.co.uk - is ready to accept entries for the 2019 season.  Enquiries to Ian Meyer:  ian3secl@btinternet.com

Next season’s ECB Royal London national club championship final is to be played at Lord’s on Monday September 16 2019, probably the day after the National Village Cup final in which Liphook & Ripsley were finalists this year.  It’s the first time since 2008 the club championship final has been played at Lord’s.

Hampshire Cricket has given the Isle of Wight’s Newclose ground a pre-Christmas boost by announcing more early season matches at the Blackwater venue on the outskirts of Newport.
The ground is already set to host an attractive four-day County Championship match between Hampshire and Nottinghamshire, starting on Monday May 20 2019.
Before that, Newclose will host a Second XI 50-over Trophy tie on Monday April 29, followed by a three-day Second XI Championship match, beginning the following day, April 30.  The opposition has yet to be confirmed.
As a further boost to island cricket, at least four of the Hampshire Academy’s ECB Southern Premier League matches are to be played at Newclose, during May and June when the Ageas Bowl is being used for the ICC World Cup.  The Premier League fixtures are normally published towards the end of the calendar year.

Portsmouth’s Fraser Hay underlined his T20 prowess with two match winning knocks as Melville gave their WACA Premier T20 challenge the perfect lift-off with victories over Mount Lawley and Perth.
Hay made starts in several of Melville’s WACA pennant matches this season, but has come into his own in the short form game in the past week, hitting 50 off 32 balls in Melville’s tight eight-run over Mount Lawley and a blistering 80 against Perth earlier today.
Hay, who has spent the past two summers at St Helen’s on Southsea seafront, top scored as Melville successfully defended 156-7 (Sean Terry 44) against Mount Lawley (148-5).
His 80 in Melville’s 167-4 at Perth’s Fletcher Park included three sixes and seven fours and came off 56 balls.   Luke Towers (35) and former Bashley (Rydal) all-rounder Drew Porter (29) helped Melville post an unthreatened 167-4, Perth making 128-9 in reply.
Rain washed out the district cricket in Melbourne, but Hampshire prospect Felix Organ, skippering Broadbeach Robina in Queensland’s Gold Coast League, made 58 and shared in a decisive century second-wicket partnership before his 50 stand with county team-mate Tom Scriven (2-54) secured a five-wicket win over Southport Labrador.

Hampshire Cricket have appointed 58-year old South African Adrian Birrell as First Team Manager.
The former South Africa Assistant Coach and current Paarl Rocks Head Coach – who has enjoyed a successful spell leading his side to today’s inaugural South African Mzansi Super League knockout semi-final - joins Hampshire on a three-year-deal, taking on the key First Team management responsibilities following the departure of Craig White in October.
The former Ireland and England U19 Head Coach enjoyed a first-class playing career as a leg-spin bowler spanning more than a decade, having represented both Eastern Province and County Districts in his native South Africa from 1984, before moving into coaching at the conclusion of his playing career in 1997.
After working with the South Africa U19 side and acting as Head Coach of Eastern Province from 1999, the former all-rounder was appointed Ireland Head Coach in 2002. Birrell led the side for a five-year period which saw them gain a place in the top 10 of the ICC World Rankings and also included a successful 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup campaign, in which they reached the Super Eight stage.
He was then named England U19 Head Coach in 2010, before joining South Africa’s coaching set-up under Russell Domingo, filling the role of Assistant Coach from 2013 until 2017, until his appointment at Paarl Rocks earlier this year.

Bashley (Rydal) cricket award winners (from left): Martin Hayward-Cox, Dan Hart, Josh Digby, Chris Vaughan, Simon Ridley, Sam Presland, Mike Porter.
 
First team skipper Mike Porter and his vice-captain Josh Digby carried off the principal awards at Bashley Rydal’s glittering cricket presentation dinner at the Barton-on-Sea Golf Club.
Porter topped the batting charts with 486 runs, while spin all-rounder Digby captured 25 wickets for Bashley, who finished a disappointing seventh in the ECB Southern Premier League, losing ten of their 18 matches.
All-rounders Chris Vaughan (batting) and Simon Ridley (bowling) won the lead individual awards for Bashley’s second team, which finished fifth in Premier Division 3, having featured in the promotion race until the latter stages of the season.
Other award winners:
3rd XI Batting: Arno Hattingh, 472 runs, Bowling: Sam Scott, 24 wickets.
4th XI Batting: Marcus Lewis, 291 runs, Bowling: Dan Hart, 21 wickets.
5th XI: Batting: Mark Avoth, 278 runs, Bowling: Martin Hayward-Cox, 15 wickets.

* If your club would like its annual awards publicised on this website, please email photographs and brief details to mike.vimpany@btinternet.com

Andover have won the George Winkles Memorial Trophy after London Road was named Southern Premier League Ground of the Year.  The club previously won it in 2008.
“We were elated to win the ground of the year award and it is credit to Mike Adams (pictured with the trophy) and his team - Keith Williams and Andy Hooper- for their unbelievable efforts,” beamed Andover vice-chairman Ali Hooper.
“London Road has been a great place to play cricket for a number of years since we had our square relaid.
“We invested heavily in winter ground-works and despite the heavy snow earlier in 2018, the guys managed to time their work to perfection. Then to have to overcome the driest summer for some time, it is incredible that they continued to produce pitches that had pace, bounce and offered something for both batters and bowlers. “The club's water bill might be through the roof but we had some superb games of cricket at London Road as a consequence !”
Langley Manor has been named Most Improved Ground in the Southern Premier League.

The latest date Southern Premier League clubs will be allowed to register foreign nationals in 2019 has been brought forward from 1 July to 31 May. 
Obviously, all registrations (including coaching certificates, police checks, etc.) must be completed before overseas players become eligible to play anyway.
The Premier League has a new registration secretary, Alton’s Richard Myers, who has taken over the reins from Caroline Green, who has stepped down from the role.  Registrations have become increasingly complex in recent years, particularly with category 3 players, and the SPL is indebted to Caroline for her outstanding work with this often complicated process.

Hampshire prospect Tom Scriven produced his best yet performance Down Under when he top scored with 83 to set up a 19-run win for Broadbeach Robina over Surfer's Paradise on Queensland's Gold Coast.
BBR posted 270 before dismissing Surfer's Paradise for 251, Scriven bowling 20 overs without reward. 
County team-mate Felix Organ skippered Broadbeach, taking 1-27 with his spin.
Meanwhile, Hampshire's Joe Weatherley has flown to Mumbai to attend a ten-day spin clinic.  On board with him were Hampshire batting coach Tony Middleton, his son Fletcha, county Under-15 captain Tom Prest and St Cross Symondians' Harry Came, who joins the Ageas Bowl playing staff in 2019.

Joy riders have caused serious weekend damage to the outfield at Hartley Wintney’s historic Cricket Green.
It is believed a 4 x 4 vehicle drove on to the outfield at around 0330 hours Monday, circling the cricket square and leaving deep tyre tracks in the mud.
“The club is devastated,” said a Hartley Wintney spokesman. “We had spent a lot of money in the immediate close season trying to upgrade the surface and now this happens. We are unsure if this was a deliberate and targeted attack, but anyone who can provide any information is invited to contact the local police or let one of the club officials know.”
Hartley Wintney are appealing to anyone who has any spare time – and a rake – to pop along to the club as they begin the process of making good the damage to the cricket outfield.