The ECB Southern Premier League will play traditional 120-over red ball matches for the first time since late July 2019 tomorrow (1100) when the nine rounds of all-day ‘time’ cricket begin.
The covid pandemic restricted matches in 2020 to 40-overs per side, while last season all games in the Premier Division were of 50-over duration, either with a red or white ball.
With rain forecast overnight and pitches potentially tricky, it will be interesting to see how many clubs can adapt to the longer format – and be able to bat for 64 overs and potentially declare.
In the 19 completed ‘white ball’ Premier Division matches last month – Bournemouth v Hook & Newnham Basics in week one was abandoned due to an ‘unsafe’ pitch – seventeen sides did not manage to bat for 50 overs, so just under half.
Tomorrow’s Time pennant launch throws up a top of the table show down between second placed St Cross Symondians and the Hampshire Academy, the unbeaten leaders, and a cellar-dweller duel at the bottom involving winless Burridge and Lymington, who lie one place off the bottom.
The covid pandemic restricted matches in 2020 to 40-overs per side, while last season all games in the Premier Division were of 50-over duration, either with a red or white ball.
With rain forecast overnight and pitches potentially tricky, it will be interesting to see how many clubs can adapt to the longer format – and be able to bat for 64 overs and potentially declare.
In the 19 completed ‘white ball’ Premier Division matches last month – Bournemouth v Hook & Newnham Basics in week one was abandoned due to an ‘unsafe’ pitch – seventeen sides did not manage to bat for 50 overs, so just under half.
Tomorrow’s Time pennant launch throws up a top of the table show down between second placed St Cross Symondians and the Hampshire Academy, the unbeaten leaders, and a cellar-dweller duel at the bottom involving winless Burridge and Lymington, who lie one place off the bottom.
St Cross are without two of the hardest hitting all-rounders in opener Tom Foyle and Jack Bransgrove, while the Young Hawks – brimming with confidence after four straight wins – are virtually at full strength.
St Cross Symondians: Ellis, Organ, Aldridge, Foster, Lewis, Trussler, Gwynn, H Foyle, Beer, Beetham, Haworth.
Hampshire Academy: Eckland, Fontaine-Jackson, Cheater, Kelly, Wright, Ruffell, Fairfax-Ross, Martin, Jack, Baker, Pritchard.
Lymington are finding scores hard to come by and only once, when they tied with 245 each at Bashley (Rydal), have they put a total on the board.
Northants all-rounder Gareth Berg is available for the Botley Road basement battle and captain Terry Crabb is listed, alongside newly wed opener Ben Rogers.
Burridge: De Abreu, Chowdhury, Collings-Wells, Hughes, Schultz, Donald, Blake, Stancliffe, Abbas, White, O Creal.
Lymington: Crabb, Rogers, Wheble, Royan, Berg, Hartshorn, Cox, K Dhariwal, G Layman, L Mcurdy , Edwards.
Spin all-rounder Jake Hurley, who played an influential role in last week‘s win over South Wilts, is a potentially key absentee for Bournemouth at Totton & Eling.
Fit again Oli Shrubsole and lead strike bowler Dan Conway are back, while left-arm spin duo Rob Pack and teenager Conor Smith will relish a lengthy bowl. Totton expect to have Ethan Taylor back on duty.
Bournemouth: C Park, Robinson, Shrubsole, Willoughby, Webb, Woodruff, Freak, Pack, Conway, Smith.
St Cross Symondians: Ellis, Organ, Aldridge, Foster, Lewis, Trussler, Gwynn, H Foyle, Beer, Beetham, Haworth.
Hampshire Academy: Eckland, Fontaine-Jackson, Cheater, Kelly, Wright, Ruffell, Fairfax-Ross, Martin, Jack, Baker, Pritchard.
Lymington are finding scores hard to come by and only once, when they tied with 245 each at Bashley (Rydal), have they put a total on the board.
Northants all-rounder Gareth Berg is available for the Botley Road basement battle and captain Terry Crabb is listed, alongside newly wed opener Ben Rogers.
Burridge: De Abreu, Chowdhury, Collings-Wells, Hughes, Schultz, Donald, Blake, Stancliffe, Abbas, White, O Creal.
Lymington: Crabb, Rogers, Wheble, Royan, Berg, Hartshorn, Cox, K Dhariwal, G Layman, L Mcurdy , Edwards.
Spin all-rounder Jake Hurley, who played an influential role in last week‘s win over South Wilts, is a potentially key absentee for Bournemouth at Totton & Eling.
Fit again Oli Shrubsole and lead strike bowler Dan Conway are back, while left-arm spin duo Rob Pack and teenager Conor Smith will relish a lengthy bowl. Totton expect to have Ethan Taylor back on duty.
Bournemouth: C Park, Robinson, Shrubsole, Willoughby, Webb, Woodruff, Freak, Pack, Conway, Smith.
The hamstring injury James Hayward suffered while trying to turn and run in the field a fortnight ago continues to keep the influential top-order batsman on the sidelines when South Wilts host Bashley (Rydal) at Bemerton.
That’s a blow for the defending champions, who must make do without in-form West Australian Peter Rowe. His place in an otherwise unchanged team goes to Raff Hussey.
South Wilts: Morton, Stearman, Mynott, Draper, Godsal, Falconer, Hussey, Sen, Grant, Croom, Burton
Bashley (Rydal): Digby, Francis, Gordon, Porter, Morris Broderick, Tripcony, Goodey, M Wilson, Crisp, Fletcher.
Playing all-day cricket will be something completely new to Hook & Newnham Basics, who are without left-hand opener Ben Thane at full strength Havant. Richard Willcock is promoted.
Havant: Walker, Whitfield, Hopson, H Gadd, Stone, Metzger, Hindley, Reynolds, Ward, Jerry, F Gadd.
Hook & Newnham Basics: Lockwood, Love, Robson, Buckingham M, Warner, Buckingham J, Murrell, Simpson, Gardner, Divechi, Willcocks.
That’s a blow for the defending champions, who must make do without in-form West Australian Peter Rowe. His place in an otherwise unchanged team goes to Raff Hussey.
South Wilts: Morton, Stearman, Mynott, Draper, Godsal, Falconer, Hussey, Sen, Grant, Croom, Burton
Bashley (Rydal): Digby, Francis, Gordon, Porter, Morris Broderick, Tripcony, Goodey, M Wilson, Crisp, Fletcher.
Playing all-day cricket will be something completely new to Hook & Newnham Basics, who are without left-hand opener Ben Thane at full strength Havant. Richard Willcock is promoted.
Havant: Walker, Whitfield, Hopson, H Gadd, Stone, Metzger, Hindley, Reynolds, Ward, Jerry, F Gadd.
Hook & Newnham Basics: Lockwood, Love, Robson, Buckingham M, Warner, Buckingham J, Murrell, Simpson, Gardner, Divechi, Willcocks.