Fletcha Middleton and George Metzger led the way as the Hampshire Academy piled up an impressive 276-8 before inflicting a punishing 175-run defeat on South Wilts at Bemerton.
The county youngsters thrived on a century opening stand between Middleton (77) and Tom Prest (56), with Basingstoke-groomed Metzger (70) inflicting further punishment on a tiring SW attack.
Only Tom Morton (33) made an impression as teenage spinner Mo Abbas (3-13) help send South Wilts crashing to 101 all out.
Alton’s two pre-season matches at Amersham and Farnham have produced a staggering 1,166 runs, with one defeat and one victory.
After the 587 run bonanza at Amersham, the Brewers immersed themselves in a 579-run fest at Farnham, where they ran out 19-run winners.
Michael Heffernan made a classy 84 for Alton, whose 299-6 was backed up by Scott Myers (44), Dan Harris (33), Mark Heffernan (27) and Joe Paul (25 not out).
Farnham made a decent fist of chasing down the target, but were eventually dismissed for 280, Jack Myers taking 4-69.
Liphook & Ripsley, in contrast, experienced an opening day to forget at Cranleigh, where they were skittled for 75 after the Surrey Championship side had posted 208-6, with former Kenya opener Seren Waters (son of Sparsholt legend David Waters) making 63.
Liphook lost eight wickets for 16 runs as they crashed from 41-2 to 57 all out.
Bournemouth, newly promoted to the Southern Premier Division this season, made a bright opening with a comfortable seven-wicket win over ECB Home Counties Premier Division outfit Horspath, who were dismissed for 158.
Luke Matthews, back from an Adelaide winter, scored an unbeaten 75 for the Lions.
Pagham sent two sides to Portsea island, where they beat Portsmouth (162, Joe Krooner-Evans 44)) by seven wickets, but were on the receiving end of a 255-6 towsing from Portsmouth & Southsea at St James’s Park.
Steve Clements (45) and Matt Benfield (41) got the show on the road for P & S, with Jack Davies hitting 50 and Jack Peach a brisk 31 not out.  Keiron Dunstan (5-39) and Ben Saunders (3-33) combined to dismiss Pagham for 147.
 

Tom Friend celebrated his Bashley (Rydal) debut with an unbeaten 150 as the New Forest club posted a staggering 545-5 in an amazing Easter run-romp against Calmore Sports at the BCG.
Bashley's total, which contained 21 sixes and 52 fours, is believed to be the highest total ever posted in a 50-over recreational match in Hampshire club cricket.
Friend (left), who has joined the ECB Southern Premier Division club from Ventnor following an employment move to Bournemouth, got his 150 off only 85 balls before retiring in the 25th over.  He cleared the boundary rope six times besides scoring 18 fours.
Michael Porter joined in the run fun as the Calmore bowlers were toasted like hot cross buns in the sizzling heat.  He made 106 not out, hitting fives sixes and 11 fours, before Patrick Holly hit 78 and Mitch Wilson 50 off just 18 deliveries, six of which went for maximums.
Calmore Sports, fielding probably only the of the side that will face Hook & Newnham Basics in the opening Southern Premier League Division 1 match on May 4, posted a creditable 234-8 in reply, with M Parker scoring 82, Ben Johns 45 and Tom Perry 39.

Bashley (Rydal) v Calmore Sports
Bournemouth v Horspath
Cranleigh v Liphook & Ripsley
Fareham & Crofton v Hook & Newnham Basics
Falkland v South Wilts II
Farnham v Alton
Guildford v Basingstoke & North Hants
Hambledon v Grayshott
Havant v Portsmouth University
Horsham v Waterlooville
Hursley Park v Redlynch & Hale
New Milton v Paultons
Portsmouth & Southsea v Pagham
Sarisbury Athletic v Fair Oak
South Wilts v Hampshire Academy
Totton & Eling v Bashley (Rydal)
Wimborne & Colehill v Hythe & Dibden

Champions St Cross Symondians have sharpened their ECB Southern Premier Division bowling attack by signing South African paceman Marvin Williams, recently named in the Western Province CA Team of the Year.
Williams, who hails from Cape Town, was the third highest wicket taker with 43 scalps for Claremont in the WPCA Premier League this past winter.
The right-arm quick, who played for the Western Province youth teams, began his club career playing for Fish Hoek (home of the Great White), ironically under the captaincy of Burridge raised Jamie Rood, who gives Williams a glowing tribute.
Rood said: “Marvin’s an absolutely cracking lad, the best attitude at the club. He’s fit, strong and fast – he was nicknamed ‘The Ocean Express.’
“He bowled one of the best spells I’ve ever kept to at Claremont, skittled their top order by getting it to spit off a length.  He’ll be a great asset to St Cross on and off the field.”
Williams will make his competitive debut when St Cross Symondians open their title defence against the Hampshire Academy at the Green Jackets Ground on May 4.

South Wilts’ opener Tom Morton led from the front as Wiltshire celebrated a T20 warm-up double victory over Dorset at chilly Bemerton.
He hit 48 and shared a century opening stand with Neil Clark (65) as Wiltshire polished off Dorset’s 120-7 to win the opening match by eight wickets with 16 balls to spare.
Then scored 78 as Wiltshire posted 149-9 before restricting Dorset’s second knock to 121-8 and give the hosts a 28-run win.
Scores -
Dorset 120-7 (Eckland 24, Scott 23, Walker 23, Murray 3-24)
Wiltshire 121-2 (Clark 65, Morton 48)
Wiltshire won by eight wickets.
Wiltshire 149-9 (Morton 78, Godsall 23*, Montacute 4-28, McCoy 3-30)
Dorset 121-8 (Currie 22*, Porter 17, Taylor 2-18, Afridi 2-23, Murray 2-24)
Wiltshire won by 28 runs.

Tickets are now available (from the Ageas Bowl) for the Isle of Wight Cricket Festival: Hampshire v Nottinghamshire Specsavers County Championship fixture on 20-23 May 2019.
Newclose are offering a membership package that includes entry to all four days of the fixture, designated seating area, access to the Members marquee and discounts on the Hospitality package for the game.
You will also get 10% off food and drinks from the pavilion for the rest of the season.
• Adults - £60
• Concessions - £48
• Under 17s - £24
Hospitality in the main marquee including breakfast, lunch and tea plus half a bottle of wine is £50 for members and £60 for members. If you are interested in taking out a membership or booking hospitality please contact Hugh Griffiths on griffithshugh@sky.com
All other advance ticket options are below purchased directly with Hampshire Cricket.
Advanced Ticket Prices
Adult 4-Day Passport: £48
Concession 4-Day Passport: £33
Adult: £16
Concession: £11
Under-17: £5
Showcase Family Ticket (2 Adults & 2 U17): £37
Please read the terms and conditions of purchase and ground regulations prior to purchasing tickets.

Tom Morton, having resumed the South Wilts captaincy, has wasted no time in finding the boundary rope !
He blasted two sixes and ten fours in a blistering 86 not out off 43 balls as South Wilts romped to a ten-wicket win at Corsham (119-9) in their opening pre-season friendly.
The boundary rope at Amersham was breached on numerous occasions as Alton slipped to a 17-run defeat in a 45-over match that yielded no less than 587 runs !
At 17-2 after a double new ball burst by Dan Scott, Amersham posted 302-4 with Andrew Viney’s unbeaten 127 containing seven maximums and ten fours.
Alex Hammond responded with 104 in Alton’s 285-4, Scott Myers making 62.
Portsmouth University student Krissie Mistry celebrated his Havant debut with a 4-14 return against Chichester Priory Park, who recovered from 18-3 to chase down 126-9 and win by three wickets at The Park.
Teenager Ollie Perkins (27) spared Havant’s batting blushes, Joe De La Fuente taking 3-15.  Charlie Futcher (57) was CPP’s batting match winner.
Max Goddard took 4-9 as Middleton made 187-7 before bowling Waterlooville out for 105 (Dan Birch 26, Tommy Greene 26).

Andover carried off the George Winkles Memorial Trophy, awarded to the club achieving the top Ground Marks in the Southern Premier League in 2018.
They achieved the highest recreational pitch marks in all four divisions, averaging 42.34 out of 50 at London Road, pictured above.
Sparsholt's Norman Edwards Ground attracted the highest marks in Division 2, with Fawley topping Division 3

Ground tables for Divisions 1, 2 and 3 -

                                                               Pitch           Outfield        Total       2017
                                                               [40]                [10]              [50]
Andover                                               33.92              8.42            42.34      41.07 +
Bournemouth (CG2)                          30.71              8.50            39.21      38.86 -
Ventnor (Steephill)                             31.14              7.07            38.21      40.15 +
Hartley Wintney                                 29.93              6.93            36.86      38.14 -
Hook & Newnham Basics                 28.69              7.50            36.19      37.75 +
Sarisbury Athletic                               28.19              7.69            35.88      36.07 -
Portsmouth                                         27.50              7.44            34.94      35.86 -
Liphook & Ripsley                              26.64              7.86            34.50       36.17 -
OT’s & Romsey                                   25.69              7.19            32.88       33.08 -
Calmore Sports                                  25.06              6.25            31.31       30.83 +

DIVISION 2

Sparsholt                                             31.33              7.50            38.83        41.08 -
Totton & Eling                                     30.69              8.06            38.75        36.79 +
St Cross Symondians II                     30.17               8.33           38.50        40.90 -
Basingstoke & NHants II                   30.44              7.94            38.38        42.50 +
Paultons                                              29.50              6.79            36.29        37.50 -
Tichborne Park                                  28.81               7.25            36.06        37.25 -
Langley Manor                                   29.29               6.43            35.72         32.58 +
Rowledge                                            25.38               5.31            30.69         33.28 -
Trojans                                                22.29               5.07            27.36         33.00 -
Waterlooville                                      20.20              6.50            26.70          30.22 -

DIVISION 3

Fawley                                                  32.33              8.08            40.41         38.79 +
Bashley (Rydal) II                                31.07              8.50            39.57         41.36 -
Hambledon                                         29.75              7.81            37.56         35.85 +
South Wilts II                                       28.93               8.36            37.29         40.43 -
Fair Oak                                               28.83               7.17            36.00         37.72 -
Havant II                                              27.38               7.00            34.38         35.07 -
Lymington II                                        27.50               6.38            33.88         N/A
Portsmouth & Southsea                   24.56               6.44            31.00         35.26 -
Gosport Borough                               22.50               6.79            29.29         32.14 -
Purbrook                                             20.07               5.93            26.00         31.59 -

Three ECB Association of Cricket Officials Scorer Roadshows are taking place locally before the start of the Southern Premier and Hampshire League seasons.
The roadshow content will vary depending on location and preference of attendees but will cover:
• An insight in to the Play Cricket suite of scoring applications.
• Facts and figures about scoring via Play Cricket in 2018.
• A look at the new scoring features in Play Cricket Scorer Pro version 2.
• A chance to meet with other scorers from your area and talk scoring.
This an exciting time for scorers and a great opportunity to come along and get involved we will also keep you up to date with the latest information relating to scoring so please register for your chosen event below.
There are 126 places across the 3 venues:
* Tuesday 30 April:  6.30-9pm at Lyndhurst Community Centre, Beech / Oak Rooms, Central Car Park, High Street, Lyndhurst SO43 7NY.
* Wednesday 1 May: 6.30-9pm at Clanfield Sports and Community Centre, 2 Endal Way (off Green Lane), Clanfield PO8 0YF.
* Thursday 2 May: 6.30-9pm at Basingstoke College of Technology, Room B105/106 (North Site), Worting Road, Basingstoke RG21 8TN
Further information on www.ageasbowl.com/cricket/cricket-board/courses/hantsaco, and  the ECB website www.ecb.co.uk/be-involved/officials/find-a-course/scorer-roadshows

South Wilts host a T20 double header between Wiltshire and Dorset at Bemerton on Sunday (11am), with a host of local Southern Premier League cricketers in action.
South Wilts themselves provide six of Wiltshire’s 14-man squad, among them teenager Raff Hussey, who has joined the Salisbury club from New Milton.
Left-arm spinner Dom Clutterbuck has withdrawn from the Dorset squad due to a back injury.
Bournemouth’s Luke Webb skippers Dorset for the first time.
Wiltshire: Ed Young, Tom Morton, Jake Goodwin, Jack Stearman, Neil Clarke, Raff Hussey, Charley Reed, Conor Taylor, James Hayward, Tahir Afridi, Ryan Murray, Luke Evans, Art Godsall.
Dorset: Luke Webb (Captain), Ed Bartlett, Brad Currie, Josh Digby, Alex Eckland, Ed Ellis, Josh McCoy, Harry Montacute, Jigar Naik, Mike Porter, Tom Robinson, Ryan Scott, Ben Walker, Mark Wolstenholme

Lymington batsmen will have no excuses for missing a 'straight one' this summer after club members spent the NatWest Ground Force weekend splashing a fresh coat of white paint on the Sports Ground sightscreens !
But it will be another two Saturdays before cricket gets underway at the LSG, Lymington's second team, led this season by Adie Hunt, playing three of the first four home matches at the ground, starting against New Forest rivals Fawley on May 4.
Matt Metcalfe will captain Lymington first team, whose solitary 'warm-up' fixture is against the Hampshire Academy on the Nursery Ground on April 27.  The opening ECB Southern Premier Division match is at Havant.
Lymington will shortly be announcing two significant signings, one 'old' player returning to the club and a teenager arriving next week from South Africa.  Watch this space !

This weekend (13/14 April) several local clubs begin their warm-up for the league season which, insofar as the Southern Premier League is concerned, begins on Saturday 4 May 2019.
Local matches (1pm starts as far as can be ascertained) include -
Friday
Hampshire II v Southampton Solent University (South Wilts, 11)
Saturday
Amersham v Alton
Bashley (Rydal) v Clevedon
Corsham v South Wilts
Havant v Chichester Priory Park
Hursley Park v East Lancs
Middleton v Waterlooville
Portsmouth v Pagham
South Wilts II v Corsham II
Sunday
Basingstoke & North Hants v Finchampstead
Littlehampton v Waterlooville

There is also a T20 double header between Wiltshire and Dorset at South Wilts on Sunday, 11.

Havant were the best behaved club in Southern Premier League last season, their first and second teams achieving the top points overall in the Fair Play table compiled from  weekly marks by South Coast panel umpires.
Chris Stone’s first  team averaged 19.88 points per match (out of 20),  with Havant II (relegated to the Hampshire League this season) picking up 19.35 points per match and finishing top in SPL3 and ninth overall, out of 40.
Lord’s Village Cup finalists Liphook & Ripsley (19.69) enjoyed the top marks in Division 1 (they too suffered relegation), with Langley Manor (19.69) best in SPL2.
Basingstoke & North Hants (19.81) were second best in the ECB Premier Division, St Cross Symondians (19.65) fifth and the Hampshire Academy (19.63) sixth.
At the opposite end of the scale, Purbrook’s overall mark was 16.44, a whole point per match lower than Paultons (17.44), Ventnor (17.65) and Lymington II (17.65).  

Havant are refurnishing their clubhouse and are looking to provide a good new home for most of the existing tables and chairs, all of which are in good condition, as the above photographs confirm. 
Any club interested in purchasing the furniture, either by means of a job lot, part lot or individual items is invited to liaise with Robin Sykes - 07796 295 603 and/or randssykes@live.co.uk

Hampshire prospect Tom Scriven produced a stunning man-of-the-match performance as his adopted Australian club Broadbeach Robina carried off the Gold Coast Kookaburra Cup with a six-wicket victory over minor premiers Alberton Ormeau.
He returned a career-best 7-43 with the ball before hitting 32 as Broadbeach chiselled off the 119 runs they needed to win the trophy for the first time in eight years.
Scriven’s spell was his fourth six-wicket plus return of the calendar year and took his tally of ‘poles’ to 41 for the season – no wonder the Queensland club has invited the West Ilsley youngster back again next winter !
The 2018 England Under-19 World Cup all-rounder is now on his way back to the UK, having also made 450-plus runs for Broadbeach.  He will link up with Hampshire later this week.

South Wilts exited the Grace Gates with heads held high after finishing as losing finalists in the ECB indoor sixes championships at Lord’s.
They arguably exceeded their own expectations by reaching the national final, but stretched Canterbury, the hot favourites, all the way before conceding a three-wicket defeat off the second ball of the last over, writes Mike Vimpany.
“Our club can be very proud of the team and all that we have achieved during this winter,” reflected skipper Rob Pittman after the Lord’s final.
“We’ve played at a high intensity along with a good skill level, which has enabled us to produce some very good indoor displays against some very good opposition.”
South Wilts qualified for Lord’s for the first time after winning the Wiltshire county title at Pewsey in February and then emerging victorious at the Taunton west play-offs, where they beat Cheltenham Civil Service before crushing Exeter University.
Eventual winners Canterbury had already underlined their pedigree by thrashing Welshmen Neyland (103) by nine wickets before South Wilts took to the Lord’s stage in the second lunchtime semi-final.
Paired against the Shrewsbury-based Grasshoppers, South Wilts promptly lost skipper Rob Pittman to a controversial low-down catch at mid-off before Tom Pearce somehow survived a run out – both in the opening over !
Tom Cowley and Tom Pearce both retired, but at 83-4 in the tenth over, South Wilts weren’t in the best shape.
                                                                                       Plundered
But a late run blast, led initially by Pearce (who went on to make 39) and then Cowley, who finished 64 not out after plundering 21 runs off the final over, saw South Wilts to a competitive 128-5.
With Cowley and Pearce bowling economical mid-innings spells, Grasshoppers lost wickets all the way down the line and, but for a late blitz by Jack Edwards (47) on Will Harries (2-39), would have been pressed to make 111.
South Wilts were unquestionably the underdogs going into the final – 2011 ECB winners Canterbury having skittled Wimbledon and Sparsholt for 43 and 39, respectively, in the east regional play-offs.
But South Wilts made a decent fist of it, reaching 40-1 at the six-over half-way point and with everyone chipping in alongside Tom Pearce (28) posted a tidy 113, three batsmen being run out.
Canterbury roared away at ten runs an over through young opening pair Isaac Dilkes (28) and Sam Burt (23) and then Stuart Drakeley, who made 27 not out.
But South Wilts clawed their way back into it by taking three wickets and had they not fluffed two run out chances in the field, Canterbury’s task might have been harder.
The Kent Premier League side were 87-3 off nine overs and eventually got home by thee wickets off the second ball of the last over.
“I thought the final was evenly matched and a very good advert for the indoor game,” Pittman added.
“The winter success definitely gives the lads a lot of confidence going into this summer’s Southern Premier League programme.
“We’ve got a lot of experienced guys at second team level now who have played in high profile games which can only be good for us going forward.”
ECB Indoor Finals results –
First Semi-final
Neyland (South Wales) 103 (Hannon 30, Dilkes 3-18)
Canterbury 104-1 (Dilkes 25*, Burt 25*)
Canterbury won by five wickets.
Second semi-final
South Wilts 128-5 (Cowley 64*, Pearce 39)
Grasshoppers 111 (Edwards 47, Harries 2-39)
South Wilts won by 17 runs.
Final
South Wilts 113 (Pearce 28, Dilkes 2-24)
Canterbury 114-3 (11.2 overs)(Dilkes 29*, Drakeley 27*, Burt 23)
Canterbury won by three wickets.

The Isle of Wight’s top club cricketers are earmarked to play in a lucrative T10 format competition as part of the Isles of Scilly Grand Festival of Sport this summer.
They are among eight teams pencilled in for a two-day mini Island Games tournament over the Spring Bank holiday weekend in late May.
Cricket Vectis, as the island team will be known, will tackle the Scilly hosts, in addition to a Channel Islands Past & Present team, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, the Isle of Man, Orkney & Shetland, and Canvey Island.
The white ball round-robin tournament, played in coloured pyjama kit, will begin on Sunday morning May 26, with the final around tea-time on the Monday. 
All the matches will be televised live on Scilly TV.
All eight teams will stay in plush accommodation in Hugh Town and St Mary’s, with a celebrity black tie dinner hosted by the Duchy of Cornwall taking place on the Sunday evening.
Ventnor all-rounder Rob Snell [pictured left by Dave Reynolds] is named as Vectis captain, with elder brother Steve Snell (Somerset’s Academy coach) and top ECB coach Mark Garaway, director of cricket at Millfield, heading a top drawer management back-up.
“I’m really thrilled at this,” said Snell. “I didn’t realise they even played cricket on the Scilly Isles, but with substantial prize money and an innovative T10 format, it promises to be quite something.”
“The Isle of Man has a decent eight-team league, the combined Channel Islands side will be good and Canvey Island are bristling with Essex Premier League standard players.”
Jeremy Frith, who led Sparsholt to the SPL2 title last season, could turn out for the Channel Islands team, which could include veterans Richard Headington, Gordon Irish and Lee Savident, the Burridge all-rounder.
Matches are ten overs per side, a maximum of two per bowler and must be finished inside 90 minutes.
                                                      Elite
Ryde, Shanklin and Ventnor are expected to provide the nucleus of the 13-man Vectis squad, which will probably include Tom Friend, who has joined Bashley (Rydal) for the upcoming season.
Veteran Ryde umpire George Wickens has been chosen as part of an elite group of tournament officials.
The T10 umpires will be attired in an all-pink outfit so as not to clash with any of the participating team colours.
Rob Snell doesn’t only have the team captaincy to worry about.
“I’ve got to work out the logistics of us getting to the Isles of Scilly, which is far from straightforward,” he confessed.
“I expect we’ll go there in a light plane from Exeter, but it’s a fair old hike getting to the West Country in the first place, especially after we’ve all played a Saturday league game locally.
“We’re all planning to bring forward the start time of our league games to ten o’clock, so we can be on the road by tea-time.”
One visiting mainland club who are unlikely to relish an early start time on the island are Rowledge, who are due to play Ventnor at Steephill on Saturday May 25.
“It looks like they’ll be coming across on the milk boat,” chuckled Snell.
Conveniently, Ryde and Shanklin have Hampshire League matches on the mainland.
Stop press: Vectis hope Ventnor-raised Warwickshire batsman Adam Hose is given the all-clear by Paul Farbrace to play in the Scilly Isles T10.
 

South Wilts will be anxious not to get caught on the Hop in Sunday lunchtime’s ECB national indoor six-a-side championship semi-finals at Lord’s.
They face Shrewsbury-based Grasshoppers, immediately after Welshmen Neyland have locked horns with Canterbury, the 2011 winners and hot favourites, in the day’s curtain raiser at 11 o’clock.
Playing indoors at the Home of Cricket will be a brand new experience for SW and Grasshoppers, the Pembrokeshire League club Neyland having twice been there before and Canterbury eight years ago when they won it.
“We’ll have the advantage of watching the opening semi-final and tweaking a few tactical things, like precise field placing in what will be a far bigger arena than we’re accustomed to playing in,” said South Wilts captain Rob Pittman.
“It will be the same for both sides, but we’re really excited about playing at Lord’s. We’ve all been there to watch matches, but playing there, even in the indoor school, will be a fantastic experience.”
South Wilts make one change from the side which emerged victorious in the west regional finals at Taunton (where they ousted Cheltenham Civil Service and Exeter University), with Sam Pittman taking over the gloves.
Intriguingly, they line up with two front-line seamers in left-armer Matt Burton and Will Harries, with Rob Pittman and Tom Pearce expected to share six overs of spin.
Utility man Tom Cowley won’t want to be left out of the bowling line up, having taken three Exeter University wickets last time out.
Cowley will have a double reason to shine as Karl McDermott, his former boss at the Ageas Bowl, will be looking on from the Lord’s balcony.
                                                                                  Hallowed turf
McDermott is now head groundsman at Lord’s, having taken up his position shortly before Christmas.
“It will be good to see him again and, hopefully, tip toe out on to the hallowed Lord’s turf before we play,” Cowley said.
Hampshire’s international groundsman confesses neither he nor his South Wilts team-mates know anything about Grasshoppers, their semi-final opponents.
Based in Shrewsbury and also coming to NW8 for the first time, Grasshoppers principally comprised players from Sentinal CC, who play in the Shropshire County League.
They have reached Lord’s by knocking out Derbyshire champions Spondon, North East Premier League side Tynemouth, and Cherry Willingham, from Lincolnshire, in the Old Trafford regional finals.
South Wilts: Rob Pittman, Tom Pearce, Tom Cowley, Will Harries, Sam Pittman, Matt Burton.
* Admission to Lord’s on Sunday is free.
 

Alton's Jubilee Ground will enjoy Gold accreditation status when the 2019 ECB Southern Premir League season begins with a visit by South Wilts on May 4.
The Brewers' facility, which received the Paul Thompson 'Most Improved Ground' award in 2016, has enjoyed highly commendable marks from visiting captains and panel umpires in recent seasons - a tribute to the hard work put in by club officials.
Although the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground, on which Hampshire's Academy team plays, received the highest overall marks, Bashley (Rydal) was once again the top marked club ground, with St Cross Symondians not far behind.
The Premier Division ground marks in 2018 were (number of reports appear in brackets):    
                                                                        Pitch        Outfield       Total 
                                                                        [40]              [10]             [50] 
Hampshire Academy [12]                          35.50            9.58           45.08 
Bashley (Rydal) [16]                                    32.13            9.06           41.19 
St Cross Symondians [16]                          32.06            8.56           40.63 
South Wilts [16]                                           32.75            7.75           40.50 
Alton [16]                                                      31.56            7.88           39.44 
Basingstoke & North Hants [14]               30.43            8.43           38.86 
Burridge [14]                                                30.50            7.57           38.07 
Havant [14]                                                   29.29            7.43           36.71 
Lymington [14]                                             29.14            7.36           36.50 
New Milton [14]                                           21.86             6.64           28.50 

Warwickshire are behind a new ECB-approved competition to introduce 100-ball cricket at club level.
The Warwickshire Sunday Smash is scheduled for June-July 2019.
A new 100-ball competition for the professional game is to begin in 2020, but the rules have yet to be revealed.
"It's all about getting cricketers back playing cricket on Sunday afternoons," said Warwickshire Cricket Board growth & participation manager Andy Wyles.
The competition will use the 100-ball rather than T20 format in the hope that it can tap into any increased interest in the game generated among players of the future when the new professional game is shown, as planned, on terrestrial television.
"We'll line up with the ECB version of what it should look like," Wyles told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire.
"We focused initially on why grounds lie fallow on a Sunday afternoon and to tackle why there are so many 32-year-old cricketers with two kids who can't find the time to play a fuller version of the game.
"If 100-ball cricket gets the game back onto terrestrial TV again and gets those 30-somethings playing again, and brings their families along to cricket matches too, then that's fantastic.
"It's about giving players more of a window to play the game they love. We hope it can reinvigorate Sunday cricket in the Midlands and provide an opportunity for clubs to bring in much-needed revenue."
                                                                             20 5-ball overs ?
How will the Sunday Smash work?
• The Warwickshire Sunday Smash will use a white ball. Teams will play in coloured clothing.
• There are no league fees for any club that enters. The only cost is for team strips. But many clubs already have coloured clothing. A few Midlands clubs already run T20 competitions, often under floodlights, while one club, Birmingham-based Attock, hosted a T10 tournament last year.
• The league hopes to attract 32 teams, to play in four eight-team groups, all looking to qualify for a Finals Day.
• The exact model of how they will play is set to be decided, but Andy Wyles says that it will "probably be 20 five-ball overs".
Getting back into cricket
A consultation meeting with the clubs already registered will take place early in the New Year, and Wyles said there has already been a lot of interest.
"I'm very confident that this is going to work," he added. "We had six more entries in the first three hours after announcing this.
"We've noticed in recent years that clubs have experienced a large drop in player availability for the all-day league format.
"The primary aim is to encourage cricketers back into the game through a shorter format.
"A game played in two hours and 15 minutes, with reduced travel time, and then the chance to go back and enjoy the rest of the day with the family."
* So, what about the Southern Premier League launching something similar : the upcoming 2019 season marks the 50th anniversary of league cricket in Hampshire – any thoughts ?

Hampshire all-rounder prospect Tom Scriven starred with bat and ball to help steer his adopted Queensland club Broadbeach Robina into next weekend's Gold Coast Kookaburra Cup Grand Final.
The West Ilsley-based all-rounder hit a half-century before taking six wickets as 'The Cats' successfully defended a modest 150 to beat Burleigh (94 all out) by 56 runs and set up a GF showdown with table topping Alberton Ormeau this Saturday and Sunday.
Scriven top scored with 50 before ploughing through Burleigh's top order, taking five of the first six wickets to fall and finishing with 6-37 off 25 overs, 12 of which were maidens.
It lifted Scriven's tally for the Down Under season to 425 runs (three 50s) and 34 wickets.  No wonder Broadbeach have invited him back to play again next winter !

Promoted Bournemouth have beaten the rest of the ECB Southern Premier League to the punch by organising their NatWest 'Cricket Force' day in the glorious Spring sunshine.
Players and officials spent Sunday preparing the Chapel Gate nets, the ground and the pavilion in readiness for the first pre-season friendly match against Oxfordshire side Horspath on Saturday April 20. They face a weekend double on April 27/28 against North Perrott and Bournemouth University.
Bournemouth's Premier Division debut comes against Basingstoke & North Hants at May's Bounty on May 4.

If you’re approaching 40 years of age (or may be a bit older !) and still playing cricket on a regular basis, how does an 11-day trip to Sri Lanka in November 2019 grab you ?
The Hampshire Seniors are off to the Pearl of the Orient and have some player vacancies for the trip, which takes place from 1-14 November and includes four games of cricket. 
The Hampshire party will stay in some of Sri Lanka’s leading hotels, with the cost of £1,950 (players) and £1,750 (supporters) including breakfast and evening meals, besides visits to an elephant sanctuary, a tea plantation and a temple.
Interested ?  Then Helen Wheeler is the person to contact – 07793 047 324 or Helen.wheeler423@gmail.com

Twenty-one ‘out-grounds’ across the country are set to host county cricket this coming season, with the Isle of Wight’s ground at Newclose among six staging professional matches for the first time.
Cricket is going ‘out to the people’ as 11 major venues, including the Ageas Bowl, are being used for the ICC World Cup.
Grantham, Newport (Gwent), Sedburgh School, South Northumberland, Welbeck and York are among those set to benefit alongside Newclose.
When Hampshire take the field against Nottinghamshire on May 20, it will be the first time the county has played ‘away’ from the Ageas Bowl since 2000, the final occasion Basingstoke & North Hants’ picturesque ground at May’s Bounty was used.
Ironically, Hampshire’s away match against the Outlaws will also be played on a club ‘out-ground’ with Welbeck Colliery, near Mansfield, hosting the 4-day County Championship match in June.
Nottinghamshire will also play a Royal London Cup match – in Lincolnshire - at Grantham, against Durham in early May.
Newport (South Wales) is one of three club grounds Glamorgan will use in Division 2, with the Welshmen making their annual visit to the Colwyn Bay seaside in August, besides  Swansea’s famous St Helen’s, where Sir Garfield Sobers (playing for Nottinghamshire) famously struck Malcolm Nash for the perfect six successive sixes in 1968.
Lancashire’s match against Durham on June 30 almost has a ‘neutral ground’ feel about it with Sedburgh School set amongst the beautiful rolling hills of Cumbria.
Sedburgh got the nod over Southport, whose facilities, by all accounts, weren’t deemed good enough to host a county game in 2019.
The powerful ECB North-East Premier League club South Northumberland will host Durham’s home match against Lancashire in late April, while York’s stunning ground at Clifton Park is, like Newclose, buzzing with anticipation ahead of Yorkshire’s match against Warwickshire in mid-June.
Yorkshire also have two matches at Scarborough, with Kent continuing to use Beckenham and Tunbridge Wells.
With four venues away from Lord’s, Middlesex play the most county games on ‘out-grounds’, with Merchant Taylor’s School, Radlett, Richmond, and Uxbridge on the ‘tube timetable’ list for their regular supporters.
Sussex, following the success of last season’s RLC match at Eastbourne, will return to The Saffrons, besides playing two county championship matches at Arundel.
Surrey play twice this summer at Guildford, while Liverpool gets its annual visit from Lancashire.
With a total of 21 ‘out-grounds’ being used, it all adds up to a fascinating summer ahead for the nomadic cricket supporter tribes, who will relish so many new venues to visit.
Newclose on the Isle of Wight, is top of the ‘wish list’ for many followers, with Hampshire’s ticket office handling numerous enquiries two months ahead of Nottinghamshire’s visit there on May 20.
It will be the first time county cricket has been played on the Isle of Wight since 1962, a mere 57 summers ago !
 
 
 
 

Long term seam bowling Basingstoke & North Hants all-rounder Martyn James is poised to cross the Great Divide and join Hook & Newnham Basics this coming season.
The 31-year old has been part of the first team fabric at May’s Bounty for the past 12 seasons, taking over 500 wickets in competitive cricket, a large chunk of them during Basingstoke’s time in the Homes Counties Premier League/Thames Valley leagues.
Explaining his decision to switch clubs, James said: “I joined Basingstoke as a seven-year old and probably since I was 19-20 years of age have opened the bowling for them in first team cricket.
“It’s been a long and largely enjoyable time, but I feel as though I want a change and Hook is a club that I have always thought of going over to and I made the decision to move this winter.
“I accept I’ll be dropping down a division in the Southern Premier League, but there are a lot of promising young players at Hook and I hope to be able to pass on my experience and knowledge to them.
“To my mind, Hook is certainly not far from a team that could succeed in the Premier Division and I hope to see what we can do this year.
“It was a very difficult decision to make and who is to say I won’t go back (to Basingstoke) in years to come.
“I see people move clubs from time to time to try new things and I just want to go and enjoy my cricket and try something new.”
                                                                                Spectacular
The arrival of Martyn James is a significant boost to Hook & Newnham Basics, who underlined their potential by winning the Southern Premier League’s T20 knockout in spectacular fashion at the end of last season.
Ironically, Ben Thane moved in the opposite direction 12 months ago and was Basingstoke’s Player of the Year last season.
Since his appointment as captain, Josh Buckingham has put massive emphasis on player fitness and midweek training sessions at Dummer have been tuned accordingly.
“Turn outs have been very encouraging. The sessions have been hard, but fun and hopefully everyone will enjoy the benefits,” enthused Vince Gardner, Hook’s new Director of Cricket.