A full review of dressing-room culture is part of a wide-ranging action plan to tackle discrimination and racism in cricket in England and Wales.
It has been issued following allegations made by Azeem Rafiq and a number of other players.
The five-point plan has "12 tangible actions", while the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has pledged £25m over five years.
The ECB will also form a new anti-discrimination unit within six months.
Last week, former Yorkshire spinner Rafiq told a Digital, Culture, Media & Sport select committee the English game is "institutionally racist".
Rafiq's allegations against the county have been echoed by former academy player Irfan Amjad and another anonymous player.
Jahid Ahmed, Maurice Chambers and Zoheb Sharif have also made claims about their time with Essex.
Sports minister Nigel Huddleston said the government could take the "nuclear option" of creating an independent regulator if the ECB does not "put its house in order" over racism.
"The last few weeks have been very, very tough," said ECB chief executive Tom Harrison. "It feels like an earthquake has hit us.
"Our game has been portrayed in the worst possible way in the world's media. Azeem's testimony and testimony from others has revealed serious issues which we have collectively not dealt with for many decades.
                                                                                             Listening
"There are clearly large numbers of people in the country who feel like cricket has not been there for them. This is our latest attempt to say we are listening and we are desperate to solve the problem."
The action plan, jointly published by the ECB, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Professional Cricketers' Association, 41 counties, women's regions and recreational network is described as a "game-wide response to discrimination".
The 12 actions each fall under one of the five points, as follows:
* Listen, care and educate - the setting up of of a standardised approach to handling complaints, promoting the aims of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket and providing all who work in cricket with ongoing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) education.
* Address dressing-room culture - publish a full review of dressing-room culture in all professional teams, reassess player and coach education.
* Remove barriers in the talent pathway - improve support for people from diverse backgrounds, identify talent from non-traditional backgrounds and take action towards reaching a minimum 20% gender diversity and appropriate level of ethnic diversity.
* Create welcoming environments for all - full-scale review into crowd behaviour at professional matches, ensure venues are welcoming to all faiths and cultures, upgrade education in recreational cricket.
*Publish localised action plans within six months - each organisation will deliver board diversity (30% female, representative ethnicity) by April 2022, adopt an anonymised recruitment tool for all senior roles, every senior executive in the game to have personalised EDI objectives.
Harrison could not confirm who will lead the review into dressing-room culture, which will look at every professional men's and women's team in the country.
ECB central funding could be withheld where EDI minimum standards are not met, the governing body said.

Aspiring South Wilts teenage pace bowler Josh Croom is spending a second winter Down Under in Darren Lehman's Cricket Academy in Adelaide and has already helped his adopted South Australia Grade club Glenelg to a notable victory - with the bat ! 
Croom hit a vital 18 not out as Glenelg got home by one wicket chasing down Northern Districts' 271 to pull off a second win in the West End two-day premier competition.
Arriving at the crease with Glenelg 247-8, he hit two boundaries during a tension fuelled match finale before applying the finishing touch to a run chase that had been underpinned by Australia ODI star Alex Carey, who made 155.
"Batting with an International player of Alex Carey's class was something else.  We only put on 13 runs for our partnership, but it certainly felt like a lot more with the amount of the two's we ran," Croom smiled.
"Alex is very quiet and calm when he bats but he made it clear to me that he’d take strike for the first four balls of the over and I’dCarey is very quiet and calm when he bats but he made it clear to me that he’d take strike for the first 4 balls of the over and I’ll face the last 2 balls. 
"When Carey got out, I decided to carry on from his role with the new batters coming in that I’d look to score as many as I can for the first 4 balls of the over and I’d give the new batter the last 2 balls to block. face the last two balls. 
"When he got out and we dropped to 260-9, I decided to carry on from Carey's role and got us across the line, but it was tense stuff." 
                                                                                     Cementing
Earlier in the match Croom send down a wicketless nine overs for 31 runs, having taken two wickets in the previous weekend's defeat by Grade champions Kenilworth.
The 19-year old left-armer from Stratford-sub-Castle made quite a name for himself in Adelaide cricket over the 2020/21 winter by taking 32 wickets and, most unusually for an English cricketer,  cementing a place in Aussie First Grade cricket.  
Refecting on his decision to spend a second winter in Australia, Croom said: "I was determined to come back to Adelaide after the Grade semi-final heartbreak last March. 
"Glenelg is a brilliant club with a very talented and experienced group of players. After how close we came in March, I’m determined to do all I can to help them win a flag this season.
"I’m doing the Darren Lehmann Academy again this year as I noticed a massive improvement in my game working with coaches that played first-class cricket in their time.
"All I want to do is keep getting better as a cricketer and the Glenelg and Darren Lehmann academy coaches helped me with that massively last winter.
                                                                                       Handicap
"I'm playing and training with Sheffield Shield cricketers all the time.  Alex Carey has over 80 International caps and he's in the same team as me." 
Despite his successes in South Australia, Croom has been unable to land a Hampshire contract - a broken foot soon after his return proving a serious handicap to his prospects.
But, on the face of it, that should be good news for South Wilts, the defending ECB Southern Premier League champions. 
"We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but for the time-being I’m doing all I can to put in performances for Glenelg and enjoy my cricket," Croom added.
Discussing his batting, Croom explained his regular net practices with Tim Cowley at South Wilts had helped him get into shape.
"I did plenty of work at South Wilts with Tim Cowley before flying over to Adelaide. 
"He’d always come and meet me at the nets when I had a day off training and would do drills and sidearm at me for a couple hours. I can’t thank him enough for the time he gave me."

The Southern Premier League is anticipating a return to normal service in 2022, with the ECB Premier Division back to its familiar split format of all-day 'time' and 50-over 'white ball' matches and traditional red ball cricket being played in Divisions 1, 2 and 3.
It means all-day cricket lunches and teas being back on the meal tables when play begins on Saturday May 7.  The final 18th round of SPL fixtures is on September 3.  
Time pennant matches in the Premier Division, which will occupy the normal nine-week slab of fixtures in mid-summer, will begin on June 4, with umpires calling 'play' at 11.30am.
All 50-over matches across the four divisions will begin at 12.30pm.
"The Management Committee has decided to reset all of the SPL playing conditions to what they were in the 2019 season, save applying Duckworth Lewis to rain affected matches across the board," explained SPL chairman Steve Vear MBE.
"We know there has been much debate in the past 18 months about whether teas should return. We also know that it is simply not possible to keep everyone happy, so for the time being, the status quo shall return.
"In terms of the future of our playing format, we are committed to conducting a formal and focussed playing survey at the end of the 2022 season."
The Hampshire League programme also begins on May 7 and concludes on August 27, one week earlier than the Premier League. 

The Southern Premier League’s second tier clubs will continue to play exclusively ‘red ball’ cricket in 2022 after a proposal by Alton to introduce a half-season ‘white ball’ element into matches was defeated by one vote at last night’s league annual meeting.
Relegated Alton wanted Division 1 clubs to play identical 50-over cricket to that in the ECB Premier Division, with nine games at the start and end of the 18-match season played with a white ball and using coloured clothing and black sightscreens.
The traditional red ball would be used in the middle part of the summer.
Six clubs backed Alton’s proposal, but with Calmore Sports, Sarisbury Athletic,  Sparsholt and Ventnor voting against, the Brewers’ plans just failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority.
Things could change in 2023 though as a change of rule approved last night means that a 51 per cent majority will be sufficient to carry proposals through in future.
The Duckworth/Lewis system will be used in rain affected matches in all four SPL divisions in 2022.

​Ian Gould retired from the ICC's panel of elite umpires in 2019, after standing in more than 250 international matches over a 13-year career. He has since written a book, My Life in Cricket, covering his time as a player for Middlesex, Sussex and England, his subsequent spell as a coach, and then the switch to umpiring. 
He is the Hampshire Cricket Society's guest at the Romsey Golf Club on Wednesday (2pm) when he will talk about his experiences as an umpire, the importance of building relationships along the way, and his hopes for the future. 
A superb afternoon's entertainment.

​Relegated from the ECB Premier Division at the end of the season, Alton are seeking to introduce 'white ball' 50-over cricket into Division 1 in 2022 and are lobbying clubs to back their proposal at Thursday's league AGM.
Brewers chairman Richard Myers points out: "We play in the Hampshire cricket pyramid and as such we feel that Division 1 should be playing at least some of the same cricket as the Division above i.e., the Premier Division
"All being well, the Premier Division will return to playing 50-over White Ball and Timed cricket in 2022, neither of which are being played in Division 1. This will make it harder for clubs who are promoted to the Premier Division when they arrive, as they will have to play 2 different types of cricket they don’t currently play.
​"We accept that it is unrealistic to expect to play exactly the same cricket at all levels but feel that as we are in a pyramid there should be a progression and White Ball is the natural one rather than Timed Cricket which would involve longer games and earlier start times.
"Also, by playing half the games White Ball and half Red Ball it achieves two things. 
"The aim of the pyramid in that any one being promoted to the Premier Division will have experienced White Ball in their promotion season, and any one being relegated from Division 1 will still have played Red Ball cricket in their relegation season.
                                                                                        Struggled
It also achieves the aim of the pyramid in that a side being promoted from Division 2 will still play half their games in Division 1 based on the games they were promoted on.
"If you revisit teams who have been promoted to the Premier Division in the past 15 years, it is circa two thirds who are relegated the following year. One reason may be that they have struggled to adapt to a different type of cricket on promotion, and currently it is now the whole season which is different not just the half (Timed Cricket) it was previously.
Alton feel it would freshen up Division 1  from the current 18 games of Red Ball 50 over Cricket, if half the games were played with a White Ball and half with a Red Ball.
Myers continued: "I’m certain that most players in the Premier Division would agree that the introduction of White Ball cricket there has freshened it up. The half and half season worked well last season and the games were different.
"There is also the possibility of creating a White Ball and Red Ball pennant, which would give Clubs more to play for as there is only one Club promoted.
"I’m aware that there is some anti feeling generated around this topic usually based on cost, but I honestly don’t believe these are insurmountable to give most players what they want."
"Cost areas are usually based around 2 areas:
Kit
Alton players own their own kit, which we bought at the time of the introduction to white ball cricket. The way we financed it was that we got a new kit sponsor for the coloured kit, (we managed to get 3 – one for the front, one above the name/number on the back and one for the sleeve) and used the first year of sponsorship to subsidise the players costs. Year 2 and 3 of the sponsorship has then provided additional income to the club.
Sight Screens
Having visited many grounds since the introduction of white ball cricket there have been several options used:
* Painting one side black – South Wilts I believe now do this
* Use of existing black germination sheets, which have been attached to the screens using clips – Alton have used this method as have South Wilts and Burridge
* Use of a thick black polythene which has been fixed to the screen – St Cross Symondians are one of a few that have done this
* Use of Black Gorilla tape onto one side of the sight screen – Bashley Rydal do this
None of the options above are particularly expensive and are relatively easy to achieve the desired effect.
"My understanding is that the Southern Premier League would likely look favourably on making the same £300 payment made to Premier Division Clubs if this change came in, but clearly would not pay to a club that has already received the initial payment through the Premier Division.
"I think that none of the above are really ‘showstoppers’ and most of the players I’ve spoken to and who have played White Ball Cricket have enjoyed the experience."
In 2022, Alton will play alongside Basingstoke & North Hants, Calmore Sports, New Milton, Portsmouth, Rowledge, Sarisbury Athletic, Sparsholt, Ventnor, and newly promoted Liphook & Ripsley, who have seconded the proposal. 
What do you think ? If you are a Division 1 cricketer, are you keen to play 'white ball' 50-over matches alongside the traditional 'red ball'' games ?  Email vimpscricket@gmail.com with your thoughts.  

CHARLOTTE Taylor’s meteoric rise has been recognised by the Cricket Society, which crowned her the best newcomer in the ECB’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy competition.
The former Arnewood School pupil’s performance for the Southern Vipers took many by surprise after she was called into the squad as a late injury replacement.
New Milton’s Taylor, whose father Steve is chairman of the Fernhill club, produced the performance of her life in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final, taking six wickets to lead her side to the title at Edgbaston.
Despite playing in only half of the tournament, she ended the competition as the leading wicket-taker, with 15.
Taylor attended the Cricket Society awards dinner at the Oval, where she collected her award from MCC president Clare Connor. The award ceremony centred on the 2020/2021 season, after Covid-19 forced the cancellation of last year’s function.
Taylor’s start was far from plain sailing after suffering a potentially career-ending cruciate ligament tear in 2017. After battling back to full fitness, she earned a recall by Hursley Park before Vipers’ coach and former England captain Charlotte Edwards called her up
She learned to play at New Milton in the U9 boys’ team, later joining Hursley Park ladies as a 14-year-old.
Article produced by kind permission of Lymington Times/New Milton Advertiser.

Promising Academy raised all-rounder Tom Prest has signed his first professional contract with Hampshire Cricket.
The 18 year old top order batsman and off-spinner from Canford School made his first-team breakthrough this summer and signs for Hampshire on a deal until the end of the 2024 season. 
Prest showed maturity beyond his years in only his third senior appearance in July to hit an unbeaten 59 in the Vitality Blast. This came after his remarkable unbeaten triple century in Hampshire's Second XI Championship match against Sussex, an innings he played after sitting an A-level Geography examination at breakfast time. 
The Dorset-based all-rounder also contributed a vital 44 in the Vitality Blast quarter-final against Nottinghamshire Outlaws at Trent Bridge to help Hampshire Hawks reach an eighth Vitality Blast Finals Day. 
Hampshire Director of Cricket Giles White said: “Tom is a talented all-rounder and he will be hoping to build on a promising start to push for a place across all formats. 
“He’s impressed everyone in a short space of time and if he’s able to continue to develop he has an exciting future ahead of him.”
                                                                                 Pivotal
Tom Prest said: “It’s something I always dreamed of growing up. It’s a really exciting time at Hampshire right now and it makes it an extra special feeling to sign a contract for your home club.
“Charlie (Freeston), Tony (Middleton) & Jimmy (Adams) have been pivotal in my development and I’m just really grateful for all they’ve done. To gain some first-team experience this season has been valuable and it was really pleasing to put in a couple of good performances in the Vitality Blast. Hopefully over time I can become more consistent at that level and contribute in all formats.”
Prest, from Wimborne, came through the Hampshire age-group system and has featured heavily for the Club over a number of seasons in CAG, Academy and 2nd XI cricket. In 2019, he gained selection for the National Super 4’s competition a year young and played a major role in all the teams he represented. 
2020 saw Prest finish the season as Hampshire Academy’s leading run-scorer with seven fifties and two centuries as a 17 year old in the ECB Southern Premier Cricket League.
Prest made 16 first-team appearances this season and most recently he was named in the England Men's Young Lions (U19) squad for their tour to Sri Lanka later this month. He hopes to play for England in the 2022 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

SWAY have been given the green light for promotion into Southern Premier League Division 3 in 2022 having finished runners-up to Havant II in Hampshire League Division 1 this past summer.
The ambitious New Forest club, which won 13 of its 14 matches in 2021, is required to add separate umpire's changing facilities at the Jubilee Ground in order to achieve the necessary accreditation.
Havant II and Sway will replace relegated pair Hythe & Dibden and Tichborne Park in SPL3 next summer. 
Sway's amazing climb of the HL pyramid began 12 years ago when they were Regional 4 South West champions. The ensuing years saw seven promotions, the foundations for the past season's success largely being based on a maiden fourth-place finish in CD1 in 2019.  Sway second team's Division 4 West title triumph put the icing on the cake of a wonderful season for the village club, population little over 3,000 and with a junior section to be admired.​

Hampshire Academy product Tom Prest has been given an opportunity to stake his claim for a place in England's ICC Under-19 World Cup squad through his selection for a five-match Young Lions ODI Series against Sri Lanka in Colombo later this month. 
The 18-year old from Wimborne played in the ODI Series against the West Indies in September, captaining the side on several occasions, but managed only 33 runs with the bat. He did, though, underline his spin bowling credentials with separate spells of 5-18 and 3-36. 
​The U19 World Cup starts on January 16 with England paired against defending champions Bangladesh. They later play Canada and the UAE, all three games to be played in St Kitts on January 16, 18 and 20 January 2022. The knockout phase of the tournament is in Antigua.

​ADVERTISEMENT - SOUTH WILTS - VACANCY FOR SENIOR HEAD COACH 2022 SEASON ONWARDS 

ECB Southern Premier League champions South Wilts invite applications for the position of Senior Head Coach, full details of which are listed below.   

Role – Senior Head Coach.  Reports to: Director of Cricket

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Responsible for the organising and the conducting of senior Pre-Season Training (4 x 2/hr sessions) in consultation with the head of Senior Cricket.
• Responsible for the organising and the conducting of Senior In-Season Training in consultation with the head of Senior Cricket (Thursday evenings 20 weeks 6-8.30pm).
• Ensure Senior Training is of a high standard that both provides quality outcomes for the players as well as methods that are in line with the Club’s values and ethic, and provides an enjoyable environment for players to participate in.
• Attend Saturday matches (20 matches) and carry out pre-game preparations through to debrief at the end of game.
• Assist in identifying potential future leaders for the Club, both internally and externally.
• Duties are expected to be performed in line with the values of South Wilts Cricket Club.
• Work with the Junior Co-Ordinator/Coaches and Women’s Co-Ordinator/Coach where required to aid development and ensure all 3 sections are aligned in their approach.

SKILLS REQUIRED
. Excellent organisation and planning skills
• Strong verbal communication skills
• Be Approachable and flexible
• Minimum Level 2 Coaching Accreditation (Mandatory) or equivalent coaching badge from overseas. All necessary insurance, Valid DBS & First Aid.
• Playing/Coaching experienced at Premier League level required (Player Coaches will also be considered).

RENUMERATION 

• £ DOE
• All expenses covered.

Written applications, attaching a CV, should be emailed to James.hayward@hotmail.co.uk

Applications close: 30th November 2021.

Fawley and New Forest CCA stalwart Alan Sturgess has died after a long illness.  A playing member and president at Holbury for 63 or more years, Alan worked for many years enhancing the pitches at Long Lane, the Waterside club being named SPL Ground of the Year in 2014. Alan was long time secretary of the New Forest CCA.   
​In a tribute, Fawley chairman John Church said: "We we have lost our leader, mentor and a friend. Alan simply was Mr Fawley CC.  
"As a player Alan was a competitive and talented all rounder. Alan always gave 100 per cent and loved winning; however he always played the game in the right way, enjoying a pint with the opposition afterwards. 
"He loved to encourage and support younger players as they made their way in the game. Our annual club tours and spending time with Alan each year was something we all greatly enjoyed and looked forward to. 
"Off the field, Alan held most positions within the club. He was our club treasurer for over 20 years and since retiring from work has been our head groundsman. He has for many years been the club president. When the club’s actual existence was in doubt following the collapse of the social club, it was Alan who galvanised us as a committee to not give up.  
"His love for cricket took him all the way to Australia a few winters when he went to support the England team in an Ashes series. I for one loved watching his tour round Oz via FB during a cold winter here in the UK. Some wonderful memories for all involved in that trip. 
"The work he and his grounds team put in ensured we always have had one of the very best grounds in the County. I know how rightly proud he was when Fawley was named the best ground in the whole Southern League back in 2014.  Del, Reg and Shaun who work on the ground with Alan will I know miss him greatly. 
"He also took on roles to support the wider cricket community. He was part of the HCL disciplinary committee for a number of years and until very recently was the NFCA secretary. I know the whole local cricket community will be saddened by this news. 
"The club will never be the same again that is for sure. Alan once said to me that if we as a club stand still we will, in effect, go backwards. I know we will  not be letting that happen with our current Chairman Chris and committee, we owe it to Alan to keep trying to improve.
"Alan had very many other interests and passions outside cricket. How he found the time for it all I will never know ? RIP Alan, you will be missed by us all at Fawley."

Academy captain Toby Albert, opening pace bowler Harry Petrie and South African quick John Turner have been awarded rookie contracts by Hampshire Cricket.
Rookie contracts are the stepping stone between the Academy and the senior squad with the players training and interacting with the first team.
Albert, 19, was recently named Southern Premier League Young Cricketer of the Year after topping the batting charts with over 700 runs this past season. Newbury-based, Albert played a lead role as Berkshire won the National County 50-over Cup and went on to make his Hampshire debut in both the Royal London Cup and the Vitality Blast T20 finals at Edgbaston. 
Hampshire Cricket Head of Player Development, Charlie Freeston said: “Toby’s had a great season with us to gain his contract. He suffered a knee injury at U17 level which kept him out for a long time so it’s really pleasing to see how well he has done on his return. He has particularly impressed in the Hampshire 2nd XI this year and he is a really exciting player across all formats.”
Seam bowler Harry Petrie, from Wellington College, played regularly for the Hampshire 2nd XI and Academy in 2021 and was recently named in the England U19 squad against the West Indies. 
Freeston said: “Harry has been with us since a very young age and this season he has exceeded expectations with his performances and really earned this contract. He has been relentless in every side he has played for this year and we want to invest in him for the long term.”
South African born fast-bowler John Turner hails from Hilton College, where he was head boy in his final academic year. His first victim in the Royal London Cup was former England legend Sir Alistair Cook. The 20 year old, who is currently studying at Exeter University, finished as Hampshire’s joint second leading wicket taker in the competition. 
Freeston said: “He’s got a great attitude - he made his full debut this year and there’s a lot more to come from him. I fully expect him to be pushing for first team spots moving forwards.”

Winning the Southern Premier Division 2 bowling award almost put the icing on the proverbial cake for talented Wickham-based Fair Oak left-arm all-rounder Charlie Gwynn, pictured TOP LEFT after receiving his prize at the league’s presentation ceremony.
​The left-arm spin bowler, who recently graduated from Oxford Brookes University, took 33 wickets and scored 407 runs, making him Division 2’s stand-out player. 
“The only downside was Fair Oak not achieving promotion. We were in the mix for most of the season, but finished a disappointing fifth,” he reflected.
Champion Liphook & Ripsley opener Ryan Covey won the Division 2 batting award with 476 runs.
​Ventnor gloveman Ben Woodhouse is pictured (TOP RIGHT) with the Southern Premier League Division 2 Wicketkeeping Award, the town side’s skipper snapping up 19 dismissals behind the stumps to help the team finish runners-up behind champions Liphook & Ripsley.  It was the second time he had won a Premier League award.  Pic credit Dave Vokes.

TOTTON & ELING celebrate the Southern Premier League Division 1 championship, claiming top spot after winning ten of their 14 completed matches to nudge New Milton into second place.
Brighton Mugochi, with 219 runs and 15 wickets, shone with bat and ball, while promising teenager all-rounder Tom Chester (293 runs) was leading run scorer.  Harrison Clarke (275) and Harry Stephens (242) also made their mark with the bat, while teenager Toby Green put plenty of gas into his spin bowling, emerging with 18 wickets alongside Hakim Perusi.  Gloveman Oli Thomas bagged 15 victims behind the stumps. 

Teenage duo Liam Shore (left above) and Mark Butcher (above right) carried off the Southern Premier Division 3 bowling and wicketkeeping awards, respectively.
Shore's 23-wicket haul, which included a 6-23 return against Hythe & Dibden, matched that of evergreen Basingstoke seamer Keith Harris and helped Hook & Newnham Basics II to a second consecutive promotion.  Hampshire League Division 1 runners-up in 2019, Hook will play SPL2 cricket next summer.
Fellow teen Mark Butcher's glovework helped Hambledon win the SPL3 championship. He bagged 16 dismissals (13 caught and 3 stumped) behind the sticks at Ridge Meadow.

Keith Mitchell was a Newport Cricket Club legend.
When Keith was 15, he was sat on the bank at the town's Victoria Recreation Ground, ready to watch the Newport Thursday team. His schoolteacher, David Martin, rushed over to tell him they were one short. He drove him home to get his kit — and he stayed with the club for the rest of his cricket career.
He went on to score centuries galore (far too many to count) in five decades with Newport and, after laying up his willow, put numerous hours back into the game to loved, either through umpiring (he was among the island's most respected officials) or coaching the next crop of would-be young Newport cricketers.
Sadly, after a relatively short illness, he left the cricket scene a week or so ago and batting his farewell innings in front of a packed gathering at the East Cowes Crematorium, Whippingham on Friday 12 November 2021 at 11.15am and afterwards in the Fightings Cocks PH in Arreton. He celebrated his 80th birthday this summer.
Keith's sporting career wasn't confined to cricket. A livelong Spurs fan, he was a decent footballer for Barton Sports, East Cowes Vics and Parkhurst Old Boys. In his younger days with Barton Boys he played alongside pop singer Craig Douglas, who in 1959 topped the UK charts with Only Sixteen. He later became a handy golfer at Osborne.
On-going knee injuries caused Keith to hang up his football boots – but how Newport and Island cricket benefited.  
Keith had just two games for Newport’s second XI and then went straight into the first team. 
Newport became unbeatable and won the very first Whitbread Knock-Out Cup in 1966. They beat Ryde and he scored 107 not out.   Ryde were skittled out for 99. 
When Keith was still a teenager, he played for the Island against the Hampshire Club and Ground, at the County Ground, Southampton, and faced the bowling of a young Bob Cottam and his own Newport team mate, Clive Smith, who was particularly hostile, as he’d been left out of the Island team. 
Keith made 70 not out and impressed Hampshire officials — so much so, he was invited back to play for their Club and Ground team, which included Cottam and Alan Castell. He batted well and kept wicket. 
                                                                      Won three new cricket bats
Keith said: “I never knew for many years Hampshire were keen for me to join them. David Martin kept this a secret for so long. I think it may have been because I was serving an apprenticeship at Saunders-Roe. I don’t think my dad would’ve let me go anyway.” 
Instead, he plundered thousands of runs for Newport in a 40-year career, which saw him score centuries spanning five decades. In one season, he won three new cricket bats, including the special Colin Cowdrey Award. 
One of his greatest personal moments, when he was the Island captain, was tossing a coin with the opposing MCC skipper — his idol, Godfrey Evans. 
He also appreciated the special note he had from the legendary Island skipper, Bill Jenkins, after he was surprisingly asked to take over from him as captain. Keith hit a century in his first game in charge. 
He still remembers his first game for the Island. It was against the Pakistan Eaglets, who included a very young Mushtaq Mohammad.  
When the brilliant young wicketkeeper, Alan Gurney, came along to Newport, Keith was more than happy to field at cover point and he became a south coast legend fielding there. 
Keith, who also enjoyed golf at Osborne, has been such a credit to the Island’s cricket scene. 
He coached young Newport players and, after retiring from the game, became a highly respected umpire. 
Keith is always more comfortable talking about other people more than himself. 
So many of his local friends and working colleagues have enriched and influenced him during his lifetime of sport and 43 years in the aircraft industry.  Keith Mitchell will be sadly missed in island sport. 

The two top order South Wilts wickets that Dan Stancliffe took in the final round of matches in late August ensured that the Burridge all-rounder finished top of the ECB Southern Premier League bowling charts - ironically with one more victim than his club captain Hilio de Abreu.
The tall right-arm seamer finished Burridge's 16-match summer with 31 wickets, finishing one ahead of de Abreu and South Wilts own Matt Burton, who took 30 apiece.
Stancliffe is pictured with the Barry Boorah Memorial Bowl awarded annually to the bowler who finishes with the most wickets in the Premier Division.
The award perpetuates the name of the late Barry Boorah, the Portsmouth & South Hants Touring Club left-arm spinner, who was the highest wicket taker of all time in Southern League cricket, with a staggering 666 victims.

Hampshire Academy skipper Toby Albert has been named Southern Premier League 'Young Cricketer of the Year' after scoring 533 runs, including three centuries, this summer.  
The 19-year old Newbury-based batsmen went on to make several Royal London Cup appearances for Hampshire and play in the Vitality T20 Blast finals at Edgbaston, besides top scoring in Berkshire's crushing National County Cup final win over Cumberland.
This website is hoping to secure an interview with Toby to talk about his 2021 successes and the way he has fought his way back from a career threatening knee injury.

South Wilts have been officially crowned ECB Southern Premier Division champions for a sixth time.
They are pictured having collected the trophy and their individual medals at the SPL’s awards dinner in Southampton.  Thrashed by nine wickets by Bashley (Rydal) after being skilled for 79 in their opening game, South Wilts bounced back and charged to the title, winning seven of their last eight matches. Overall, they won 12 of their 15 completed matches and also won the 'red ball' pennant.

South Wilts' captain Ben Draper looks as though he's ready to audition for BBC television's ​children's quiz show CrackerJack after lifting so many trophies at the Southern Premier League presentation dinner !
The SPL's youngest ever title winning captain is pictured holding (i) the Premier Division trophy, (ii) the 'red ball' pennant, (iii) the SPL wicketkeeping award, (iv) the Premier Division championship pennant, and (v) just for good measure, his own etched glass trophy.   Fortunately, he didn't drop any of them .. even with his gloves on ! No need for cabbages then ...

For the benefit of this website's younger readers, CrackerJack was made famous on the BBC in the early Sixties by the late Leslie Crowther, a real cricket fanatic and leading comedian of his time. Leslie Crowther spoke alongside Sussex cricket legend George Cox at a Southern League awards dinner at Waterlooville back in the mid-1970s, the evening being rated as the best presentation function in fifty years.​

ECB Southern Premier League ‘Team of the Year’ selectors have just completed an all-night sitting and announced their chosen XI from the past 2021 season.
The panel had particular difficulty in choosing a six-man top batting order, with Jack Mynott and Felix Organ both declared ineligible having been restricted to only eight appearances each during the season.
The Academy, Bashley (Rydal), Bournemouth, Burridge and South Wilts each has two players in the line-up.
Southern Premier Division team –
1. Jacob Gordon (Bashley Rydal) – 463 runs 
2. Josh Digby (Bashley Rydal) – 381 runs + 25 wickets
3. Toby Albert (Academy) – 533 runs
4. Ximus de Plooy (Lymington) – 513 runs + 20 wickets
5. Harry Broderick (Academy) – 423 runs
6. Hilio De Abreu (Burridge) – 343 runs + 30 wickets
7. + Ben Draper (South Wilts) – 354 runs + 29 victims 
8. Robbie Pack (Bournemouth) – 29 wickets (econ 2.39)
9. Dan Stancliffe (Burridge) – 31 wickets + 173 runs
10. Dan Conway (Bournemouth) – 25 wickets (econ 2.96)
11. Matt Burton (South Wilts) – 30 wickets + NO runs.
Matt Burton was unable to convince selectors that he should bat above 11, having failed to score a single run in 2021.  30 wickets will do, however ..
Non travelling reserves: Harry Gadd (Havant), James Hayward (South Wilts), Richard Jerry (Havant),  Bash Walters (Alton), Luke Webb (Bournemouth).

Lord’s Village Cup heroes Ben Johns and Mark Lavelle are named in the Southern Premier Division 1 ‘Team of the Year’ announced this morning.
The left-hand pair played significant roles in Calmore Sports lifting the Voneus Village Cup at the first time of asking – and again did well in the league, Johns scoring 428 runs.
Champion duo Brighton Mugochi and teenager Tommy Cheater wear the Totton & Eling colours in a potentially controversial select XI pick.
Rowledge spin teen Oli Baker, whose 26 wickets was complemented with 216 runs, just missed out.

Southern Premier Division 1 team of the year –
​1. Ben Duggan (Portsmouth) – 469
2. Ricky Rawlins (Sarisbury Athletic) – 412
3. Ben Johns (Calmore Sports) – 428
4. Harlan Greig (New Milton) – 295 + 30 wickets
5. Josh Hill (Sarisbury Athletic) - 430
6. Brighton Mugochi (Totton & Eling) – 219 + 25 wickets
7. Mark Lavelle (Calmore Sports) – 25 wickets
8. Tommy Cheater (Totton & Eling) – 293 + 9
9. Babu Veettil (Andover) – 26 wickets
10. + Ben Wish (Rowledge) – 19 victims
11. Bradley Tyler (Basingstoke & North Hants) – 29 wickets
Travelling reserve: Oli Baker (Rowledge) 216 + 26

The ECB Southern Premier Division Team of the Year will be announced on Friday at 1 o'clock.

The ECB has confirmed that the LV= Insurance County Championship will return to two divisions from next summer following a vote by the First-Class Counties
This decision follows discussions between ECB and First-Class Counties to determine how and when a return to two divisions could be achieved
Hampshire are among the ten counties which will compete in Division One and eight in Division Two with a two-up, two-down promotion-and-relegation system
The LV= Insurance County Championship will return to two divisions next season following a vote by the chairs of the 18 First-Class Counties.
The return to a two-division LV= Insurance County Championship, after two Covid-affected seasons, will see the competition move to the 10:8 structure that was agreed by the First-Class Counties prior to the pandemic.
2022 LV= Insurance County Championship structure:
• Counties will play in two divisions. There will be 10 counties in Division One and eight in Division Two with a two-up, two-down promotion-and-relegation system.
• Each county is due to play 14 LV= Insurance County Championship matches.
• The counties will be placed into the division that they had qualified to compete in had the 2020 LV= Insurance County Championship taken place.
The England and Wales Cricket Board’s role ahead of this week’s vote has been to facilitate discussions between the First-Class Counties and provide the options available to them.
The priority of those discussions has been to determine when and how a return to the two-division structure – featuring 10 counties in Division One and eight in Division Two as agreed by counties following the 2018 Domestic Playing Programme (DPP) - could best be achieved.
The process to transition to that structure had begun during the 2019 LV= Insurance County Championship. At the end of that season three counties were promoted from Division Two (Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire) while the last-placed Division One county (Nottinghamshire) was relegated.
A two-division LV= Insurance County Championship has, however, not taken place since then due to Covid-19.
It has always been the intention of the First-Class Counties and the ECB to return to the two-division structure at the earliest opportunity.
After the First-Class Counties voted to change the format of men’s first-class cricket in 2020 and 2021 to mitigate against the impact of Covid-19, this week’s vote also considered the option to play one further year of the seeded group structure that was successfully staged this summer.
Although there was support from counties to use the 2022 season as a way to step back to a two-divisional structure, there was not the two-thirds majority that was required under the ECB Articles.
The LV= Insurance County Championship will, therefore, be played in the new two-divisional structure from next season.
2022 LV= Insurance County Championship - Division One
Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Surrey, Warwickshire, Yorkshire.
2022 LV= Insurance County Championship - Division Two
Durham, Derbyshire, Glamorgan, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire, Sussex, Worcestershire.