Forty years on from its origins in Kerry Packer’s World Series and its subsequent introduction in the 1990s into one-day limited-over matches in England, white ball cricket is about to hit the local scene.
Tomorrow the British Gas Southern Premier League will be become the first ECB accredited competition in the country to play its 50-over matches in coloured kit and all the trimmings.
White balls, pyjama clothes, black sight-sceens and power-plays will be all the rage when the action unfolds at Andover, Burridge, Havant, South Wilts and on the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground.
Havant open their Premier Division title defence against Alton and their vice-captain Andy Gorvin is excited about the new concept.
He said: “I think white ball cricket is an exciting prospect for clubs, and one that many players won’t be used to, so it will be interesting to see how teams get on in the first few weeks.
“It will certainly bring more of a definitive change between all day and 50 over cricket.
“Hopefully it will also entice more good cricketers to the region, especially if it can be integrated into all the divisions of the Southern League.”
The SPL will only use one new ball per innings, compared with two (one at each end) in List A county matches.
The jury is out on that one. But the Premier League is confident that, provided they are kept clean, the white balls will hold up okay.
Alton and St Cross Symondians trialled the white ball in a pre-season warm-up matches and both sides gave it the thumbs up.
The ten Premier Division captains, together with the panel umpires, have been busy brushing up with the power-play regulations which now mirror the first class game.
There are three power-play periods –
• Overs 1 to 10: two fielders outside of the circle
• Overs 11-40: four fielders out
• Overs 41-50: five fielders out
When the action begins at 1pm tomorrow, Hampshire’s former England Under-19 captain Brad Taylor will make his competitive debut for Havant, the defending champions, who, predictably, have four front-line spin bowlers in their powerful line-up.
Alton have strengthened their side with Dan Harris, a hard hitting top order batsman from Northampton Saints, and South African pace bowler Ian Jamison, from Gauteng.
Havant: Walker, Taylor, Gibson, Stone, Gorvin, Ransley, McCoy, Hindley, Bulled, Morgan, Matthews.
Alton: Hammond, Janmohamed, Harris, S Myers, Mike Heffernan, Mark Heffernan, Jamison, J Myers, Mortimer, Hughes, Ballinger.
South Wilts, who surrendered their four-year grip on the title last season, give Hampshire’s Australian import Ian Holland his competitive debut against Lymington at Bemerton.
Holland has only played once for South Wilts so far – in a warm-up match at Falkland – having turned out for Hampshire in last Sunday’s Royal London Cup defeat by Essex at Chelmsford.
South Wilts have left-hand opener Eddie Abel back after a season’s sabbatical and parade former Academy seamer Ryan Murray in their attack.
Lymington, who have signed Hampshire prospect Calum Dickinson, are without skipper Simon Beetham. Wicketkeeper Ed Ellis captains.
South Wilts: Hibberd, Wade, Abel, Holland, Hayward, Cranch, Ben Draper, Mynott, Evans, Pittman, Murray.
Joe Weatherley, who is on a summer-long loan with Kent, dons his St Cross Symondians colours against newly promoted Andover at London Road.
Andover: M Hooper, A Hooper, Green, Treagus, Watson, Knight, Blackburn, Foy, Waliullah, Veetill, Adams.
South Australia prospect Patrick Page makes his competitive bow for Bashley (Rydal) against last season’s surprise packages, Burridge at Botley Road.
Page, 19, is Bashley’s overseas player and hit 48 on debut in last weekend’s high scoring defeat by visiting Normandy.
He was leading run scorer in the Australian National Club Championships in 2015/16, but awaits his Redbacks call up.
Ex-Dorset all-rounder Mitch Wilson is on Bashley debut, but left-arm quick Tom Barber is doubtful.
Burridge, who finished runners-up to Havant last season, have lost key all-rounder Geoff Dods to Nottinghamshire Premier League club Hucknall.
Bashley (Rydal): Porter, Gates, Digby, Page, Jacques, Thomson, S Ridley, Wilson, C Ridley, Nash, Curry.
Former Hampshire left-armer James Tomlinson leads a youthful Hampshire Academy against a New Milton side bereft of talented spin all-rounder Nicky Elliott.
Teenager Oli Shrubsole replaces Elliott, while Nick Gargaro is back after under-going knee surgery.
New Milton: R Beck, T Arnold, D Wakefield, L Beck, G Watts, O Shrubsole,T Edwards, A Collison, N Gargaro, M Freeman, D Loader.
Tomorrow the British Gas Southern Premier League will be become the first ECB accredited competition in the country to play its 50-over matches in coloured kit and all the trimmings.
White balls, pyjama clothes, black sight-sceens and power-plays will be all the rage when the action unfolds at Andover, Burridge, Havant, South Wilts and on the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground.
Havant open their Premier Division title defence against Alton and their vice-captain Andy Gorvin is excited about the new concept.
He said: “I think white ball cricket is an exciting prospect for clubs, and one that many players won’t be used to, so it will be interesting to see how teams get on in the first few weeks.
“It will certainly bring more of a definitive change between all day and 50 over cricket.
“Hopefully it will also entice more good cricketers to the region, especially if it can be integrated into all the divisions of the Southern League.”
The SPL will only use one new ball per innings, compared with two (one at each end) in List A county matches.
The jury is out on that one. But the Premier League is confident that, provided they are kept clean, the white balls will hold up okay.
Alton and St Cross Symondians trialled the white ball in a pre-season warm-up matches and both sides gave it the thumbs up.
The ten Premier Division captains, together with the panel umpires, have been busy brushing up with the power-play regulations which now mirror the first class game.
There are three power-play periods –
• Overs 1 to 10: two fielders outside of the circle
• Overs 11-40: four fielders out
• Overs 41-50: five fielders out
When the action begins at 1pm tomorrow, Hampshire’s former England Under-19 captain Brad Taylor will make his competitive debut for Havant, the defending champions, who, predictably, have four front-line spin bowlers in their powerful line-up.
Alton have strengthened their side with Dan Harris, a hard hitting top order batsman from Northampton Saints, and South African pace bowler Ian Jamison, from Gauteng.
Havant: Walker, Taylor, Gibson, Stone, Gorvin, Ransley, McCoy, Hindley, Bulled, Morgan, Matthews.
Alton: Hammond, Janmohamed, Harris, S Myers, Mike Heffernan, Mark Heffernan, Jamison, J Myers, Mortimer, Hughes, Ballinger.
South Wilts, who surrendered their four-year grip on the title last season, give Hampshire’s Australian import Ian Holland his competitive debut against Lymington at Bemerton.
Holland has only played once for South Wilts so far – in a warm-up match at Falkland – having turned out for Hampshire in last Sunday’s Royal London Cup defeat by Essex at Chelmsford.
South Wilts have left-hand opener Eddie Abel back after a season’s sabbatical and parade former Academy seamer Ryan Murray in their attack.
Lymington, who have signed Hampshire prospect Calum Dickinson, are without skipper Simon Beetham. Wicketkeeper Ed Ellis captains.
South Wilts: Hibberd, Wade, Abel, Holland, Hayward, Cranch, Ben Draper, Mynott, Evans, Pittman, Murray.
Joe Weatherley, who is on a summer-long loan with Kent, dons his St Cross Symondians colours against newly promoted Andover at London Road.
Andover: M Hooper, A Hooper, Green, Treagus, Watson, Knight, Blackburn, Foy, Waliullah, Veetill, Adams.
South Australia prospect Patrick Page makes his competitive bow for Bashley (Rydal) against last season’s surprise packages, Burridge at Botley Road.
Page, 19, is Bashley’s overseas player and hit 48 on debut in last weekend’s high scoring defeat by visiting Normandy.
He was leading run scorer in the Australian National Club Championships in 2015/16, but awaits his Redbacks call up.
Ex-Dorset all-rounder Mitch Wilson is on Bashley debut, but left-arm quick Tom Barber is doubtful.
Burridge, who finished runners-up to Havant last season, have lost key all-rounder Geoff Dods to Nottinghamshire Premier League club Hucknall.
Bashley (Rydal): Porter, Gates, Digby, Page, Jacques, Thomson, S Ridley, Wilson, C Ridley, Nash, Curry.
Former Hampshire left-armer James Tomlinson leads a youthful Hampshire Academy against a New Milton side bereft of talented spin all-rounder Nicky Elliott.
Teenager Oli Shrubsole replaces Elliott, while Nick Gargaro is back after under-going knee surgery.
New Milton: R Beck, T Arnold, D Wakefield, L Beck, G Watts, O Shrubsole,T Edwards, A Collison, N Gargaro, M Freeman, D Loader.
