Lymington all-rounder Moham Abbas scored just shy of 700 runs and took 22 wickets during his six-month winter stint with Melbourne-based Ivanhoe Saints in the Victoria CA's North-East regional competition.
On the back of his stay, Lymington have signed Ivanhoe team-mate Ed Withington, an opening bowler and handy lower order batsman, as their overseas player for the upcoming ECB Southern Premier League campaign.
Abbas, left, made a winter-best 133 against VCA rivals Donvale in October - it was his maiden hundred in senior club cricket - and made other notable contributions, with 97 against Plenty Valley and five other scores of fifty or more.
His 22-wicket haul included a recent 5-65 return against Kew.
Withington will arrive at Lymington at Easter and in time for the eagerly anticipated SPL derby at New Forest neighbours Bashley (Rydal).
Lymington, who have two other close season signings, play warm-up matches at Totton & Eling and Winterbourne in April.
They have recruited Totton & Eling opening batsman and spin bowler Harry Stephens and Ben Shoare, a spin bowler from powerful Surrey Championship club Reigate Priory.
Former England cricketer Matthew Maynard is the guest speaker at Lymington's pre-season fund raising dinner at the town's Royal Yacht Club on March 29.      

​Hambledon will face beaten 2024 Lord's finalists Ferndown Wayfarers in the ECB South West regional indoor sixes semi-finals at Somerset's Taunton county ground this Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm.
The Dons qualified for the Taunton zone finals by following up their Hampshire title triumph with a comfortable play-off win over Ventnor, while Ferndown received a bye when Somerset withdrew.
Ferndown, who plan to take a squad of eight to Taunton, pulled off a massive shock at Lord's last winter by beating Birmingham & District Premier League side Halesowen before losing to Broadstairs in the national final.  Ferndown currently lie fourth in the Dorset Indoor League at Hurn.   
The pair are both missing key players.  Will Samson [knee] is an absentee for Wayfarers, while gloveman Dan Hewitt is replaced by seamer James Restill, giving the Dons five recognised bowlers.  Henry Glanfield could keep wicket.
Ferndown Wayfarers: Alex Sansom, Eric Linge, James Raftery, Freddie Pittaway, Daryl Baines, Miles Lewis.
Hambledon: George Marshall, Jacob Harris, Henry Glanfield, Spencer le Clercq, Fred Primmer, James Restill. 
The second semi-final features Cheltenham against Neath-based South Wales Premier League club Ynysygerwn.

This website, along with all Southern Premier League cricketers, sends its best wishes for a speedy recovery to Sway scorer and long retired Weston Park school teacher Graham Symons, who is unwell. Alongside his role at Sway, Graham enjoys a massive input into Dorset youth cricket.

Gosport Borough will need to get one of their own batsmen to step up to the plate this coming season following news that prolific Aussie left-hander Oli Lunt isn't returning to Privett Park next month.
Lunt, who plays for the Northern Districts grade club in Queensland's Premier League, plundered 959 runs in 2024 having chalked up 573 the previous season when the Borough were promoted from SPL3. Despite his near 1,000 runs tally, Gosport went back down again last term.
Now all-rounder Jacob Harris has the task of reversing the Borough's fortunes in his new role as captain.

Left-hander Matt Deadman will skipper Basingstoke & North Hants in the ECB Southern Premier League this summer - the club's fourth captain in the past five years.
He takes the armband following brief captaincy stints by Dan Belcher, Ash Neal and Joe Oates.
Deadman's plan is for Basingstoke to continue to consolidate in the Premier Division following the Division 1 championship triumph of 2023.
"We finished third from bottom last season, but enjoyed two big wins in August so there was never a threat of being sucked into any relegation scrap," said the 25-year old.
"I imagine we'll be operating with the nucleus of last season's pretty young squad, with Kiwi prospect Ethan Donoghue potentially giving us a three-pronged spin attack and partnering Ash Neal and Ali Brown.
"Harry Morrogh, a fresher at Durham University, has joined us from Farnham and, like his old Cranleigh School team-mate Alex Bovill (studying at Newcastle), will miss some of the early games."
Cove bound Dubs Wood is the only departure from May's Bounty.
Basingstoke begin the season with a demanding ECB national club championship round one trip to WEPL outfit Bristol (April 27) before launching their Southern Premier League programme at Bournemouth.

Kiwi Luke Anderson prepares to enjoy an ice cold beer after smashing 109 from just 48 balls for is Auckland club side Howick Pakuranga against Papatoetoe.  
New Ville chairman Jon Hudson hopes to be buying Luke more beers in the Rowlands Avenue bar this summer as the club faces an intriguing Southern Premier Division 1 season, with newly promoted Hambledon and relegated Havant newcomers on the 2025 fixture card.  Anderson won Howick Pakuranga's batting prize last season. 
Teenage Havant opener Charlie Whitfield has also joined the Ville.

Andover want to raise £25,000 to upgrade training facilities and the clubhouse/pavilion at London Road, both of which are in serious need of improvement.
Writing on its Crowdfunder page, the club said: "This project aims to raise the cash needed to relay and improve our net facilities. This is a large project which will benefit the youth and senior sections alike by improving the training facilities at the club.
"We have received quotes of around £18,000 for this work."
Andover is a "family club" with a junior section and six adult sides and provides year-round cricket activities to over 400 children.
Open to all genders and abilities, the club prides itself on operating in line with its values of providing fun, safe and affordable cricket.
As well as £18,000 for the new nets, the club needs to raise funds to support the return of its second ground with an astro-turf pitch being laid before the season, which will cost around £300.
They are also looking to improve the pavilion to provide disability access and facilities, repair the changing room roof, re-decorate the umpires’ room and improve the toilet facilities, and enhance outdoor seating and hospitality areas for players, supporters and families. 
The existing facilities have undergone a lot of wear and tear in the last two decades and, like many others, relies on a small army of volunteers to keep it going.
With ambitions to remain competitive and support its growing community, development and repair are needed to help the club's evolution.
The club said: "Our building does not have disability access or suitable toileting facilities.
"Our practice nets facility is worn out after many years of busy training sessions and as a result cricket balls no longer bounce predictably in the nets, making it hard for batters to hit the ball - particularly for beginners to the game. 
"This project will allow a large number of existing members to play and enjoy cricket in a safe environment and help us attract new members from the local community to the beautiful game."
To donate, please follow this link: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/acc-nets-project

​2024 champions ! That's the Hampshire Academy, who lifted the coveted ECB Southern Premier
League championship with a dramatic winner-take-all final match victory over South Wilts. It
couldn't have been closer for the lads who were runners-up two seasons earlier.
In that critical final match, Finn Gordon, Ethan Martin and Dom Kelly took three wickets each as South Wilts were dismissed for 110, their last pair adding a priceless 26 runs. The Academy slipped to 86-8 before Eddie Jack and Sam Davis swung the match - and the title - in the county's favour.
Charlie Freeston, Hampshire's Head of Player Development, reflects.
"We start every season very excited to see what the players can achieve with all the hard work they’ve done through the winter. However, there are plenty of occasions when we find ourselves battling to get the strongest team out : sometimes even an 11 can be tough!
"The 2024 season was no different; however, this group of players have been getting stronger and
stronger and more competitive in the Southern Premier League year on year. We deliberately pick a
relatively young side and I hope that they can learn quickly from the demands of the league.
"Hampshire are still pretty unique in that we are now the only county to enter an academy team in an ECB local Premier League. We strongly believe it gives us a point of difference and invest lots of time and energy into it. We massively appreciate the support we get from the league and from the clubs within it.

​"There were some outstanding performances in 2024 with spinner Zack Basey taking 34 league wickets
and only playing 11 games. Another Dorset teen Finn Gordon topped the batting chart as under-17 player and rightly carried off the SPL Young Cricketer Award. Sam Ashman and Andrew MacEwen also made over 400 runs.
"But it really was a group effort and everybody stuck at their jobs superbly with a mixture of young players and those more experienced really competing at the very top level. As always, we will see plenty of changes into the squad for 2025 - but with some hugely exciting prospects to be playing in the Premier League for the Hampshire Academy.
"We are very much looking forward to seeing how well we can do in 2025 and, who knows, we may even
lift back to back trophies if all goes to plan!"

Do you know of anyone who is looking to sell, say, a 1.3 litre car, with valid MOT, in the period leading up to Easter ?
This isn't a replacement for the infamous red Beamer but for a 22-year old Aussie cricketer who is coming across to play in the SPL and will be living in PO territory. 
Contact MV on either 07899 711116 or email [email protected]

The ECB Southern Premier League has unveiled a ‘new look’ T20 Blast competition to be played on Sunday afternoons this summer.
The straight knockout format has been scrapped in favour of geographically zoned ‘mini leagues’ with the 28 participating clubs split into east, north, south and west regions.
Each team will play four T20 matches - two at home and two away - with the fixtures to be played over a ten-week period between May 18 and July 27.
Two points will be awarded for a win, with the top two sides in each group qualifying for the quarter-finals, which will revert to a straight knockout.
The quarter-finals are earmarked for August 10, with the semi-finals two Sundays later. The T20 final will be in September 2025.
The ‘mini leagues’ are -
East
Burridge, Fareham & Crofton, Gosport Borough, Havant, Portsmouth, Portsmouth & Southsea, Sarisbury Athletic, Waterlooville.
North
Alton, Andover, Basingstoke & North Hants, Hartley Wintney, Hook & Newnham Basics, Liphook & Ripsley, Odiham & Greywell, Rowledge.
South
Fair Oak, Hursley Park, Old Tauntonians & Romsey, South Wilts, Sparsholt, St Cross Symondians, Trojans, Ventnor.
West
Calmore Sports, Fawley, Langley Manor, Lymington, New Milton, Parley, Sway, Totton & Eling.
                                                                                    Five non entries
Premier Division duo Bashley (Rydal) and Bournemouth, who provide the nucleus of Dorset’s National Counties squad, and the Hampshire Academy, because of ECB competition commitments, have not entered.
Nor have Hambledon or Paultons.
The ‘mini leagues’ have served up some tasty derbies, with Havant set to play neighbours Waterlooville and visit Portsmouth who, in turn, make the short trip to Portsmouth & Southsea.
Arch rivals Basingstoke & North Hants lock horns with Hook & Newnham Basics at May’s Bounty on June 22, while in the west, Lymington face an early banana skin derby with Sway.
* The Southern Premier League’s weather delayed 2024 cup finals are to be played at Totton & Eling’s Southern Gardens ground on Sunday May, the day after the opening round of league matches.
Havant play Totton & Eling in the afternoon after the morning Plate final between Burridge and Fair Oak.

​Hampshire's exciting young South African Vitality T20 Blast signing Lhuan-dre Pretorius blasted a 96-ball century for Titans against Western Province in the 41-run 1-Day Cup win at Newlands.
The rising Centurion-based star smacked 120 including seven sixes and 11 fours as Titans posted an imposing 337-7 against the reigning champions, who made 296 in reply. 
Lhuan-dre Pretorius is expected to make his T20 Blast debut for Hampshire against Essex at the Utilita Bowl on May 30 2025.

Bournemouth spin all-rounder Conor Smith hit a six off the last ball to win the Victorian Turf Cricket Association T20 Cup for Altona North, his adopted Australian club.
Smith was at the crease for the dying overs of this week's Grand Final against Deer Park, the result coming down to last ball with Altona needing five runs to win.
Chasing Deer Park's 109-8, Altona plunged to 91-8 and, with 14 runs still needed, were second favourites when the last over began.
It came down to five to win off the final ball which Smith dispatched high over deep mid-on to spark a mass celebration in the Altona North ranks.
"As soon as I hit the ball, I knew that it was going over the boundary and get our side the win.
“I'm capable of hitting sixes, as I've done more than once back home at Chapel Gate. I backed myself and it came off," said Smith, who finished 19 not out off 15 balls.
Smith, whose parents and elder brother are currently holidaying in Melbourne and grabbed last minute tickets for the final, confessed he enjoyed a few 'tinnies' after the match.
"I woke up the next morning to see all the messages from back home in England which is pretty cool..”
Smith and his Altona North team-mates have bigger fish to fly this weekend.  Heading into the final round, Altona North sits atop the Isaacs Howarth Shield ladder.
“That’s the number one,” he said. “It would be good to back it up. We’ll be back at training on Thursday night and focus on winning the Saturday one.
"We’ve done really well and have been working on our fielding this year. We’ll stick with what we are doing and hopefully we’ll come out on top.”
Smith has spent his second winter season with Altona North and plans to return to Bournemouth in good time for the start of the Southern Premier Division season, which sees Basingstoke & North Hants visit Chapel Gate on May 4.

The eight Southern Premier League sides in this summer's ECB national club championship have all received tough first round ties on Sunday April 27.
Toughest of the lot is arguably Basingstoke & North Hants' visit to WEPL Premier League side Bristol, while Portsmouth, newly promoted in the SPL, face 2023 Surrey Championship winners Sunbury at St Helen's.
OTs & Romsey go to WEPL side Corsham, while St Cross Symondians must await the outcome of the preliminary round tie between Bristol West Indians and Royal Wootton Bassett before knowing who will be visiting the Green Jackets Ground.
South Wilts receive Burbage & Easton Royal at Bemerton, Waterlooville go to old rivals Middleton and Havant face relegated Surrey Championship side Weybridge, a side they met several times before.
Bashley (Rydal) get a first round bye, but will host either Bedminster or Bishopstone on May 11.
First round pairings include -
Bristol v Basingstoke & North Hants, Corsham v Old Tauntonians & Romsey, Havant v Weybridge,  Middleton v Waterlooville, Portsmouth v Sunbury, South Wilts v Burbage & Easton Royal,St Cross Symondians v Bristol West Indian Phoenix or Royal Wootton Bassett. Bye: Bashley (Rydal).

Dave Allen, this Thursday afternoon's speaker at the Dorset Cricket Society, is the Official Historian at Hampshire Cricket and a Director of Hampshire Cricket Heritage Ltd. In addition, he is a prolific writer and a performing musician. He also has an interest in art and paints when time permits.  What a man!
Dave has been a devotee of Hampshire Cricket since early childhood. He first started watching his beloved team at the United Services Ground in Portsmouth in the late Fifties, and counts himself extremely fortunate to have followed closely the richest period in Hampshire's history, with the two championship winning pennants in 1961 and 1973. 
He is an inspiration, a font of  a wealth of knowledge on county cricket in general and caring mentor to all fellow Hampshire Cricket Heritage Board Members, active volunteers and supporters.  Anyone who listens to Dave's commentary, follows his blog or gets the chance to ask him anything about our club, knows we are very fortunate he is one of our own - made next door in Hampshire!
Date: Thursday 27 February 2025. Venue: Hurn Bridge Sports Club/aka Christchurch FC. 1.45pm.

 Sparsholt are re-signing Aussies Bazball-style batter Joe Merlino for a second season of Southern Premier League cricket at Locks Lane.
The 21-year old batsman/wicket-keeper, who plays for Cardiff Boolaroo in the Newcastle & District Premiership in Northern New South Wales, finished second behind Fareham & Crofton’s Tom Kent in the SPL Division 3 batting charts last summer.
His 684-run aggregate included a league highest 173 against Parley and another century off the South Wilts second team attack.
Merlino has made three half-centuries in domestic Newcastle grade cricket this Australian winter, with Cardiff Boolaroo poised to qualify for the end of season finals.
He will arrive at the Norman Edwards Ground in time for Sparsholt’s tasty Division 3 opener against newly promoted Odiham & Greywell, who cruised the Hampshire League title in 2024.     ​Picture Bob Selley.

Hambledon cruised into the ECB indoor championship south west regional finals by outplaying Ventnor and winning their county play-off round by four wickets at the Utilita Bowl.
They restricted the islanders to 77-4 and polished off the target with 20 balls to spare.
Only two of Ventnor's Southern Premier Division 1 side made the cross Solent voyage and after losing their first two wickets for 19 runs they were always headed for defeat.  Archie Lucy (21) and Jack Powell (24) revived their fortunes but 77 was never likely to test the Dons.
Hambledon did, though, lose George Marshall without scoring, but Jacob Harris (23) and the talented Henry Glanfield (26) quickly repaired the damage and pointed Hambledon to an easy win.

The draw for the National Village Cup, made at Lord's yesterday, has paired two past winners together with 1992 champions Hursley Park drawn at home to Calmore Sports, who held the trophy aloft four seasons ago back in 2021.
The preliminary round is scheduled for The Quarters on Sunday April 13 - the same day as Sway are due to host South Winchester.
Once again, Hampshire boasts the largest county entry, with 2024 county winners Hambledon going to Oakley's delightful ground on the outskirts of Basingstoke and Amport packing their buckets and spades for an expensive away day at Ventnor. 
Draws -
Preliminary round 
Hursley Park v Calmore Sports, Sway v South Winchester.
First round
Liphook & Ripsley v Elsted, Cadnam v Hook & Newnham Basics, Oakley v Hambledon, Sparsholt v Tichborne Park, Bramshaw v Overton, Easton & Martyr Worthy v Paultons, Colehill v Winsley. 
Sarisbury Athletic have received a bye through to round two.

Here's one from the Southern Daily Echo archives. New Milton prepare to bat in the County Ground Knockout Cup final at Northlands Road. Where is Tony Wharton, forgotten again ... ? 
​From left: Dave Jose, Pete Watts, Ian Bowie, Dave "Taffy" Edwards, Billy Paramore. Seated: Colin Partridge, John Wolfe, David "Butch" White, John Shippey, Paul Broomfield, John Hallam.

Hampshire's Toby Albert put his bat and wicket-keeping gloves to good use as Joondalup, his adopted Perth club, inflicted a crushing outright defeat on Wanneroo, the WACA Premiership's bottom club.
Wanneroo were shot out for 51 and then 94 either side of Albert making 67 of Joondalup's 213-3. The Newbury based pouched four catches in Wanneroo's second dig.
Kieran Abrams, who is joining Havant this summer, celebrated a maiden WACA century as Bayswater Morley crushed Fremantle in the second grade.  An opening bat and off-spin bowler, Abrams hit 112 of BM's 325-4. Freo were dismissed for 240.
Joe Vaughan, the OTs & Romsey spin all-rounder, took 4-13 during a tight 15-over spell for Bentleigh in Victoria's Southern Bayside League.  Opponents Heatherton were bowled out for 109, but were saved by the rain, Bentleigh making 66-3 before the weather set in. Vaughan made 34.
Across in Cape Town, Hambledon's Chris Pratt, boasting his new beach blonde hairstyle, made a century for Western Province seconds.

​The South Coast Panel's planned meeting for players and officials, due to be held at New Milton CC next Monday evening, has been cancelled due to a lack of projected members attending.
Lymington all-rounder Gareth Berg was due to have spoken at the meeting.

Long serving Steve Taylor has stepped down as New Milton chairman after 15 years in the Fernhill hot seat and, in total, a staggering 30 seasons on the Southern Premier League club's management committee.
A left-arm slow bowler, he made his debut for the Green & Golds as an 11 year old at Cadnam back in 1977 and went on to play first team league cricket from 1982 and 2012, taking 229 SPL wickets.
He captured over 500 league wickets for all of Milton's club teams, with best figures of 9-16.
"I stopped playing in 2015, having taken over the club chairmanship from John Wolfe in 2009," he recalled.
"In my time we have gone from fielding three men's teams on Saturdays alongside three women's sides, with over 100 girls and women playing at Fernhill.
"I'm now helping the ground staff - probably until I drop !"
Steve Taylor has been succeeded by Daniel Wooster as club chairman, but plans to be vice-chairman in 2025.
The Taylor family has contributed massively to cricket in the New Milton area, with elder brother Neil starting his career at Ashley before joining neighbours Bashley (Rydal), and Steve's daughter Charlotte playing for Hampshire women and Southern Vipers. She previously played for Southern Brave. 
An off spin bowler, she was the top wicket taker at the 2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
With Ed Bartlett again at the helm, New Milton are eyeing an SPL2 promotion push this summer, with South African Thaakier Davids, from the Cape Town club Pinelands, set to return for a second season at Fernhill.  He made 469 runs and took 16 wickets last term.