Paul Marks has left Fawley after seven seasons to become captain of British Gas Southern League Division 3 rivals Hursley Park.
Playing at The Quarters will be nothing new for the 49-year old opening batsman, who spent the initial part of a successful career in local club cricket with Winchester KS, helping them to an unbeaten Southern League championship success in 1995. He is just 80 shy of a 6,000-run aggregate in Southern League cricket.
“I played for Hursley for three seasons in the early days of the Premier League and captained them in 2006. I have always enjoyed playing my Sunday cricket there. I only live five minutes from the ground,” he explained.
Marks, who played representative cricket for the old SL, joined Fawley in 2010, the Waterside club having steadily climbed their way up from the Hampshire League.
“I had some good times with Fawley, who are a terrific bunch of lads. But travelling down to play at Holbury became a pain, so a decided to return to Hursley, which was always my intention at some stage,” he added.
Marks will take charge of a Hursley side which came within a whisker of being relegated to the Hampshire League at the end of last season.
Zimbabwean Bothwell Chapungu is unlikely to return and locum 2016 skipper Nic Wheeler has departed to Langley Manor.
Hursley Park play warm-up matches against South Wilts II (April 22) and Waterlooville (April 29) before opening their SPL3 campaign against Basingstoke & North Hants II at The Quarters.
They are at home to debutants Emsworth in the Village Cup.
Playing at The Quarters will be nothing new for the 49-year old opening batsman, who spent the initial part of a successful career in local club cricket with Winchester KS, helping them to an unbeaten Southern League championship success in 1995. He is just 80 shy of a 6,000-run aggregate in Southern League cricket.
“I played for Hursley for three seasons in the early days of the Premier League and captained them in 2006. I have always enjoyed playing my Sunday cricket there. I only live five minutes from the ground,” he explained.
Marks, who played representative cricket for the old SL, joined Fawley in 2010, the Waterside club having steadily climbed their way up from the Hampshire League.
“I had some good times with Fawley, who are a terrific bunch of lads. But travelling down to play at Holbury became a pain, so a decided to return to Hursley, which was always my intention at some stage,” he added.
Marks will take charge of a Hursley side which came within a whisker of being relegated to the Hampshire League at the end of last season.
Zimbabwean Bothwell Chapungu is unlikely to return and locum 2016 skipper Nic Wheeler has departed to Langley Manor.
Hursley Park play warm-up matches against South Wilts II (April 22) and Waterlooville (April 29) before opening their SPL3 campaign against Basingstoke & North Hants II at The Quarters.
They are at home to debutants Emsworth in the Village Cup.
