When Steve Wright put his left-arm up to succeed Mark Lavelle as National Village Cup captain he anticipated a nice comfortable first round tie to kick start the club’s bid for a third successive trip to Lord’s.
With 19 teams in a country-wide field of 370, Hampshire has the highest entry of the 32 geographical groups, so it was odds-on the 2021 Lord’s winners would get a favourable draw.
Not so. They got the Loperwood Park home draw, but facing Southern Premier Division 1 rivals Sarisbury Athletic first up wasn’t quite what Wright had in mind.
“The draw couldn’t be much harder,” Wright said. “Lets hope we get a dry spring and the April 23 ties all get played.”
Wright’s comments will be echoed at Hambledon and Hartley Wintney who, alongside South Winchester (previously IBM Hursley), start off on the long road to Lord’s two weeks before that - on Easter Sunday April 9. Groundsmen will be working overtime to get the squares playable for such an early start.
Long sleeve sweaters could be the order of the day at Ridge Meadow where Hambledon play 2022 county finalists Bramshaw, while debutants Hartley Wintney receive Hampshire Leaguers Locks Heath.
Local pairings include -
Preliminary round (April 9)
Emsworth v Hadlow Down, Findon v Liphook & Ripsley, Hartley Wintney v Locks Heath, South Winchester (ex-IBM Hursley) v Odiham & Greywell, Hambledon v Bramshaw.
First round (April 23)
Hartley Wintney or Locks Heath v Hook & Newnham Basics, South Winchester or Odiham & Greywell, Hambledon or Bramshaw v Hursley Park, Oakley v Amport, Sparsholt v Sway, Tichborne Park v Ventnor, Calmore Sports v Sarisbury Athletic, Paultons v Overton, Redlynch & Hale v Horningsham, Winchampton v Parley, Shrewton v Colehill, Chalke Valley v Charlton Down.
With 19 teams in a country-wide field of 370, Hampshire has the highest entry of the 32 geographical groups, so it was odds-on the 2021 Lord’s winners would get a favourable draw.
Not so. They got the Loperwood Park home draw, but facing Southern Premier Division 1 rivals Sarisbury Athletic first up wasn’t quite what Wright had in mind.
“The draw couldn’t be much harder,” Wright said. “Lets hope we get a dry spring and the April 23 ties all get played.”
Wright’s comments will be echoed at Hambledon and Hartley Wintney who, alongside South Winchester (previously IBM Hursley), start off on the long road to Lord’s two weeks before that - on Easter Sunday April 9. Groundsmen will be working overtime to get the squares playable for such an early start.
Long sleeve sweaters could be the order of the day at Ridge Meadow where Hambledon play 2022 county finalists Bramshaw, while debutants Hartley Wintney receive Hampshire Leaguers Locks Heath.
Local pairings include -
Preliminary round (April 9)
Emsworth v Hadlow Down, Findon v Liphook & Ripsley, Hartley Wintney v Locks Heath, South Winchester (ex-IBM Hursley) v Odiham & Greywell, Hambledon v Bramshaw.
First round (April 23)
Hartley Wintney or Locks Heath v Hook & Newnham Basics, South Winchester or Odiham & Greywell, Hambledon or Bramshaw v Hursley Park, Oakley v Amport, Sparsholt v Sway, Tichborne Park v Ventnor, Calmore Sports v Sarisbury Athletic, Paultons v Overton, Redlynch & Hale v Horningsham, Winchampton v Parley, Shrewton v Colehill, Chalke Valley v Charlton Down.
