Geoff Beale has stepped down as Hampshire Sixties captain ahead of the 2021 vets season which sees the county elders pitched in a potentially demanding National Championship south-east group alongside Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex.
Kent will be Hampshire’s first opponents on April 27 when Blackheath’s Chris Swadkin will doubtless be looking forward to scoring his annual century !
Left-hander Beale, pictured, assumed the Hampshire captaincy in 2015 taking over from the late Geoff Owen.
He is closing in on 1,900 runs for the Seniors, having made three centuries and 11 fifty-plus scores.
Hampshire qualified from their south-west in each year of his captaincy but progress in the play offs was always short lived, although in 2019 when qualification was changed to a league format, Hampshire narrowly lost their final game and hence a place in the final to Somerset who, in turn, finished national runners-up.
Due to the cancellation of the national competition, Hampshire played only two friendly matches – both against Oxfordshire – last summer.
President John Rickard and his selection panel are unlikely to be short of candidates to fill Beale’s boots, with Bashley Rydal’s Iain Britton, successful as county 50s skipper, and Lymington’s Neil Trestrail favoured among the bookies, with Rick Marston, Martin Shephard, and Chris Yates outsiders. Given his First Division experience with Saints and Manchester City, Graham Baker may yet toss his hat into the ring.
White smoke from John Rickard’s Kellett Road chimney will indicate when the 2021 Hampshire Sixties captain is chosen, but it may be a while yet as the President has no plan to turn off his central heating during this cold snap.
Kent will be Hampshire’s first opponents on April 27 when Blackheath’s Chris Swadkin will doubtless be looking forward to scoring his annual century !
Left-hander Beale, pictured, assumed the Hampshire captaincy in 2015 taking over from the late Geoff Owen.
He is closing in on 1,900 runs for the Seniors, having made three centuries and 11 fifty-plus scores.
Hampshire qualified from their south-west in each year of his captaincy but progress in the play offs was always short lived, although in 2019 when qualification was changed to a league format, Hampshire narrowly lost their final game and hence a place in the final to Somerset who, in turn, finished national runners-up.
Due to the cancellation of the national competition, Hampshire played only two friendly matches – both against Oxfordshire – last summer.
President John Rickard and his selection panel are unlikely to be short of candidates to fill Beale’s boots, with Bashley Rydal’s Iain Britton, successful as county 50s skipper, and Lymington’s Neil Trestrail favoured among the bookies, with Rick Marston, Martin Shephard, and Chris Yates outsiders. Given his First Division experience with Saints and Manchester City, Graham Baker may yet toss his hat into the ring.
White smoke from John Rickard’s Kellett Road chimney will indicate when the 2021 Hampshire Sixties captain is chosen, but it may be a while yet as the President has no plan to turn off his central heating during this cold snap.
