New Milton led the way as cricket clubs across the region launched Operation Mop-up in a frantic last ditch bid to get the round 8 Southern Premier and Hampshire League matches played.
The storms and torrential rain which swept across the area on Wednesday evening and the wet weather which continued on Thursday left sports ground saturated.
Club groundsmen, most of the volunteers, had little time to get pitches and outfields playable.
New Milton burned the midnight oil pumping 7,000 litre of water off their square and outfield in a bold attempt to get the Ventnor match at Fernhill played.
“It’s given us a 50/50 chance of playing – but if there’s any more rain prior to the start, then the ground won’t be playable,” said NM chairman Steve Taylor.
Captain James Park and James Haggaty are due to return for New Milton. Dan Loader is available but Ryan Beck, who captained the side to their maiden win of the season against Hampshire Academy last week, drops back to the seconds at Hook & Newnham Basics II.
New Milton: J Park, N Park, Haggaty, Wakefield, Elliott, Loader, Watts, Hall, Shrubsole, Arnold, L Beck.
Bashley (Rydal) will hope to knock SPL leaders South Wilts off their top-table perch just down the road at the BCG, 11.30.
The hosts, who have won all three Time pennant games, are set to be without Jake Lilley due to a back injury, but Sam Thomson, who took ten wickets in Dorset’s Minor Counties Championship win over Cheshire this week, is included.
South Wilts expect to have little left-hander Eddie Abel available for the first time this season after he returned from a back problem.
Australian teenager Jake Warner, who scored his first South Wilts century last weekend, has been playing with the touring Pakistan Test squad at the Ageas Bowl this week.
“I was due to face Mohammad Amir yesterday, but the ground was flooded, so a wonderful experience passed me by,” the South Australia Under-19 captain smiled.
Bashley (Rydal): Porter, Digby, Gates, Jacques, Bailiff, C Ridley, Thomson, Watkins, Neal, S Ridley, Nash. South Wilts: Winter, Mynott, Abel, Hayward, Cranch, Wade, Hibberd, Franklin, S Pittman, Warner, Evans.
St Cross Symondians have injury problems on the eve of their visit to Alton.
Kent’s Adam Rouse is out for at least six weeks after breaking and dislocating a finger in this week’s County Championship match against Glamorgan (see separate story under Breaking News) and New Zealander George Worker is sidelined with an elbow injury.
Hampshire’s Joe Weatherley is pencilled in to play, but having made his NatWest T20 Blast debut against Essex at Chelmsford, mat not make the trip to the Jubilee Ground.
Alton, without opening bowler Ben Mortimer (side strain), will wear black armbands as a mark of respect to long serving cricket coach Brian King, who passed away this week.
Alton: Hutton, Janmohammed, Hammond, S.Myers, M.P.Heffernan, M.J.Heffernan, J.Myers, M.Salmon, T.Salmon, Hughes, Ballinger
The storms and torrential rain which swept across the area on Wednesday evening and the wet weather which continued on Thursday left sports ground saturated.
Club groundsmen, most of the volunteers, had little time to get pitches and outfields playable.
New Milton burned the midnight oil pumping 7,000 litre of water off their square and outfield in a bold attempt to get the Ventnor match at Fernhill played.
“It’s given us a 50/50 chance of playing – but if there’s any more rain prior to the start, then the ground won’t be playable,” said NM chairman Steve Taylor.
Captain James Park and James Haggaty are due to return for New Milton. Dan Loader is available but Ryan Beck, who captained the side to their maiden win of the season against Hampshire Academy last week, drops back to the seconds at Hook & Newnham Basics II.
New Milton: J Park, N Park, Haggaty, Wakefield, Elliott, Loader, Watts, Hall, Shrubsole, Arnold, L Beck.
Bashley (Rydal) will hope to knock SPL leaders South Wilts off their top-table perch just down the road at the BCG, 11.30.
The hosts, who have won all three Time pennant games, are set to be without Jake Lilley due to a back injury, but Sam Thomson, who took ten wickets in Dorset’s Minor Counties Championship win over Cheshire this week, is included.
South Wilts expect to have little left-hander Eddie Abel available for the first time this season after he returned from a back problem.
Australian teenager Jake Warner, who scored his first South Wilts century last weekend, has been playing with the touring Pakistan Test squad at the Ageas Bowl this week.
“I was due to face Mohammad Amir yesterday, but the ground was flooded, so a wonderful experience passed me by,” the South Australia Under-19 captain smiled.
Bashley (Rydal): Porter, Digby, Gates, Jacques, Bailiff, C Ridley, Thomson, Watkins, Neal, S Ridley, Nash. South Wilts: Winter, Mynott, Abel, Hayward, Cranch, Wade, Hibberd, Franklin, S Pittman, Warner, Evans.
St Cross Symondians have injury problems on the eve of their visit to Alton.
Kent’s Adam Rouse is out for at least six weeks after breaking and dislocating a finger in this week’s County Championship match against Glamorgan (see separate story under Breaking News) and New Zealander George Worker is sidelined with an elbow injury.
Hampshire’s Joe Weatherley is pencilled in to play, but having made his NatWest T20 Blast debut against Essex at Chelmsford, mat not make the trip to the Jubilee Ground.
Alton, without opening bowler Ben Mortimer (side strain), will wear black armbands as a mark of respect to long serving cricket coach Brian King, who passed away this week.
Alton: Hutton, Janmohammed, Hammond, S.Myers, M.P.Heffernan, M.J.Heffernan, J.Myers, M.Salmon, T.Salmon, Hughes, Ballinger
