Six weeks into the season and the Southern Electric Premier League has just seen its fourth change of captain.
Sarisbury Athletic skipper Dave Banks is the latest to step down, writes Mike Vimpany.
No sooner had the season got under way than Ryan Beck quit as New Milton captain, having threatened to step aside at the end of 2014 after the Green & Golds had just missed promotion.
Beck handed over to James Park, who had piloted Milton into a position of strength, 11 points clear at the top of Premier 1 prior to today’s meeting with Basingstoke & North Hants.
Less than a mile down the road at the delightful BCG – home of Bashley (Rydal) – there was a second change.
Richard Morris quit and handed over the reins to Simon Watkins who, ironically, was an absentee himself at South Wilts. Michael Porter takes up the baton for the next five Bashley games.
Then Hambledon’s Ian Turner – who took 54 county wickets for Hampshire from 1993 to 1996 – decided he’d had enough.
Up stepped one-time Andover left-hander Ron Atkins, who has done well since being handed the historic armband.
Dave Banks stepped down as Sarisbury Athletic captain before last week’s Premier Division mauling by Ryan Duffield and champions South Wilts.
He conceded: “There are no real dramas. I’ve been struggling with injuries, first my back, then a hamstring now a cracked thumb.
“I’ve been struggling to get through games and one injury after another has taken its toll.
“It was time to hand the captaincy over to someone younger, so Matt Journeaux assumed control against South Wilts though, ironically, he wasn’t available at Havant.”
Sarisbury Athletic skipper Dave Banks is the latest to step down, writes Mike Vimpany.
No sooner had the season got under way than Ryan Beck quit as New Milton captain, having threatened to step aside at the end of 2014 after the Green & Golds had just missed promotion.
Beck handed over to James Park, who had piloted Milton into a position of strength, 11 points clear at the top of Premier 1 prior to today’s meeting with Basingstoke & North Hants.
Less than a mile down the road at the delightful BCG – home of Bashley (Rydal) – there was a second change.
Richard Morris quit and handed over the reins to Simon Watkins who, ironically, was an absentee himself at South Wilts. Michael Porter takes up the baton for the next five Bashley games.
Then Hambledon’s Ian Turner – who took 54 county wickets for Hampshire from 1993 to 1996 – decided he’d had enough.
Up stepped one-time Andover left-hander Ron Atkins, who has done well since being handed the historic armband.
Dave Banks stepped down as Sarisbury Athletic captain before last week’s Premier Division mauling by Ryan Duffield and champions South Wilts.
He conceded: “There are no real dramas. I’ve been struggling with injuries, first my back, then a hamstring now a cracked thumb.
“I’ve been struggling to get through games and one injury after another has taken its toll.
“It was time to hand the captaincy over to someone younger, so Matt Journeaux assumed control against South Wilts though, ironically, he wasn’t available at Havant.”
