Life without their massively influential captain Tom Morton begins for South Wilts, who launch their challenge for a remarkable fifth successive ECB Southern Premier League championship on the Isle of Wight.
James Hayward, who led the Salisbury club to the first two of those four titles, takes the reins again and plans to lead from the front against Ventnor on the Island’s Newclose county ground.
It’s not only Morton - 979 runs and 38 dismissals behind the stumps in 2015 – who will be missing from last season’s championship side.
Newly wed left-arm all-rounder Ryan Duffield, who made over 500 runs (mainly quickly) and took 41 wickets, has regained his Western Australia state contract and has not returned.
And Solent University leg spinner Jake Foley is playing for his home town Essex Premier League club Colchester & East Essex.
South Australia Under-19 captain Jake Winter, from the seaside resort of Glenelg, is South Wilts overseas recruit and has been pencilled in to open the batting alongside fellow teenager William Wade, who hit an unbeaten 98 against Corsham last weekend.
Despite losing key players, Hayward declares: “We are very much out to win the Premier Division again.
“Obviously, we’ve lost key players in Tom and Ryan and they certainly aren’t going to be replaced overnight.
“That said, we have kept the core of our side together and look forward to seeing a few senior players stepping up and watching the younger ones progress and hopefully cement their place in the Southern Premier League.”
Sam Pittman, who won the SPL3 wicket-keeping award with South Wilts promotion winning second team last season, is expected to don the gloves at Newclose.
Hayward has yet to reveal his hand in terms of team selection for the island trip, but left-hander Eddie Abel has a back injury and is replaced by Jack Mynott.
Abel’s absence will mean SW being without three of last season’s top six run getters.
Ventnor, perennially slow starters, continue to lose players who move off the island, although they are hoping Tom Friend will play the whole season.
Henry Bartlett has transferred to Bournemouth, while James Cheek is nursing a soccer-related broken arm.
They have signed former New South Wales U19 fast bowler Alex Glendenning, who took a First Grade hat-trick for Sydney this winter.
Runners up to South Wilts for the past three seasons, Havant are anxious to go one better this time around, with all-rounder Ben Walker back at the helm.
They face a testing opener against Alton at the Jubilee Ground, where the presence of Melbourne University’s Dan Hutton should strengthen their batting.
Andy Gorvin is expected to enjoy a successful season after doing well in Melbourne this winter.
He played Grade cricket for Camberwell Magpies (formerly Collingwood) alongside left-arm spin all-rounder Tom Vanderslik, who is spending the summer with Havant.
The anticipated title chasers are without Durham University’s Ron Gibson and left-arm spin all-rounder Chris Morgan for the time being.
Alton: S Myers, Hutton, Hammond, J.Myers, M.P.Heffernan, M.J.Heffernan, Janmohammed, Paul, Mortimer, Salmon, Ballinger.
Havant: B.Walker, P.Hopson, S.Ransley, R.Hindley, A.Gorvin, S.Matthews, C.Stone, T.Vanderslik, J.Bulled, S.Loat, E.Windsor.
Bashley (Rydal), already weakened by the departure of star all-rounder Richard Morris to Henley, have more cracks to paper over on the eve of the New Forest derby with Lymington at the BCG.
Replacement captain Michael Porter has lost bowling pair Jake Lilley (thumb) and Simon Ridley, sidelined with a hockey-sustained broken index finger.
Now Solent University all-rounder Richard Lock has decided not to play for the club.
Talented spinner Ryan Macciocchi, who has joined Bash from powerful North East Premier League side Tynemouth, is surprisingly left out and travels to Hambledon with the seconds.
“We’ve decided to play an extra batsman and go with just six bowlers,” Porter explained.
No such problems for Lymington, who might be an outside title bet this season.
In-form Hampshire seconds batsman Lewis McManus is in their line-up.
Bashley (Rydal): Gates, Thurgood, Jacques, Porter, Bailiff, Watkins, Ridley, Digby, Neal, Thomson, Nash
Lymington: Beetham, Ellis, Freeman, Hand, Rogers, McManus, Scott, Blake, Grierson, Metcalfe, Crabb
South African Geoff Dods has returned from a successful winter in Cape Town to continue for a fourth season as Burridge's overseas player.
The all-rounder led Cape Town into third place in the recent CSA national club championships in Pretoria, the mother city side having won the Western Province pennant.
Dods plays for a largely unchanged Burridge side against a very youthful Hampshire Academy - the match having been switched to the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground.
Joe Weatherley leads a young and inexperienced Academy team, which includes five schoolboys who have yet to even sit their GCSE examinations !
Academy: Weatherley, Kantolinna, Duggan, McCoy, Gadd, Holly, Goodwin, Pardoe, South, S Alsop, Drakeley.
Burridge: Ankers, Hewitt, Steward, Collings-Wells, Savident, Dods, Richards, Houlton, Stancliffe, Murray, McMurray.
St Cross Symondians have four new faces in their side to face newly promoted New Milton in tomorrow’s ECB Southern Premier Division curtain raiser at Fernhill, 1pm.
Two of them will occupy top order batting positions, with New Zealand Black Caps One-Day International all-rounder George Worker back for a second stay at the Winchester club.
Louis Kimber, who has joined from top Lincolnshire side Sleaford, will join the Central Districts left-hander and teenager Matt Stokes in a potentially powerful top four.
Greg Hollins, a fitness coach with Hampshire, will don the wicket-keeping gloves, with Army all-rounder Kesler Baptiste beefing up the pace attack.
New Milton won the Division 1 title last season and are making their debut at Premier Division level.
They have brought in New Zealander Dave Wakefield to bolster their batting and have former Totton & Eling keeper Tom Arnold behind the stumps,
The Green & Golds rely on last season’s successful bowling attack, with promising 32-wicket teenager George Watts taking the new ball.
New Milton: J Park, Arnold, L Beck, Edwards, Elliott, Gargaro, Haggaty, Loader, N Park, Wakefield, Watts.
St Cross Symondians: Taylor, Young, Stokes, Kimber, Worker, Ayres, Hollins, Bransgrove, Baptiste, Marsh, Farooq.
St Cross Symondians have four new faces in their side to face newly promoted New Milton in tomorrow’s ECB Southern Premier Division curtain raiser at Fernhill, 1pm.
Two of them will occupy top order batting positions, with New Zealand Black Caps One-Day International all-rounder George Worker back for a second stay at the Winchester club.
Louis Kimber, who has joined from top Lincolnshire side Sleaford, will join the Central Districts left-hander and teenager Matt Stokes in a potentially powerful top four.
Greg Hollins, a fitness coach with Hampshire, will don the wicket-keeping gloves, with Army all-rounder Kesler Baptiste beefing up the pace attack.
New Milton won the Division 1 title last season and are making their debut at Premier Division level.
They have brought in New Zealander Dave Wakefield to bolster their batting and have former Totton & Eling keeper Tom Arnold behind the stumps,
The Green & Golds rely on last season’s successful bowling attack, with promising 32-wicket teenager George Watts taking the new ball.
New Milton: J Park, Arnold, L Beck, Edwards, Elliott, Gargaro, Haggaty, Loader, N Park, Wakefield, Watts.
St Cross Symondians: Taylor, Young, Stokes, Kimber, Worker, Ayres, Hollins, Bransgrove, Baptiste, Marsh, Farooq.
Sarisbury Athletic, who last year lost their hard earned Premier Division after just one season at the top, hope Basil Akram will come to the fore when they launch their Southern Premier League, Division 1 challenge against Basingstoke & North Hants at May’s Bounty.
Akram has been in magnificent early season form for Loughborough University and has high hopes of landing a contract at a First Class county.
He is one of only six survivors from last season’s relegated side – former skipper Dave Banks being among those to leave the club – but the arrival of Harry Hovey, pictured, the hero of Hampshire Under-17’s ECB County Championship triumph at Arundel last summer, gives the batting a boost.
Basingstoke have been dubbed as early season favourites for the title, but new skipper Mitchell Stokes has an on-going knee problem and may sit the game out.
Basingstoke & North Hants: Froud, Belcher, Julin, Stokes, Williamson, King, James, Jolley, Benge, Thankachan, Porter.
Sarisbury Athletic: Journeaux, Rawlins, Covey, Akram, Lovett, Hovey, Floyd, Sanders, Stewart-Hill, Allmark, Jewell.
Newly promoted Portsmouth have a new man at the helm as they start their campaign against Totton & Eling at St Helen’s, Southsea.
Rich Locke has taken over the captaincy from Dave Henderson as Portsmouth look to consolidate their place at the higher level.
The new captain has a largely young squad at his disposal but is optimistic they can cope with the new demands.
He is also encouraged by the arrival of Fraser Hay, a 19 year old hard-hitting all rounder from the Melville Grade club in Perth, Western Australia.
"I have some big boots to fill taking over from Dave Henderson who led the club to two promotions,' said Locke.
"It is another step up for us as a team after winning promotion on the final day of last season.
"We still have the nucleus of last season's squad plus a couple of additions.
"The club is still in a rebuilding phase but our investment into youth cricket over the last few years is starting to pay off.
"A lot of our players are now in the 19-20 year age bracket and have come through the ranks together.
"They are a tight knit group and that should stand them in good stead.
"In addition Fraser Hay looks like being a good acquisition for us.
"There is no doubt that this season is going to be a challenge because the league looks stronger than it has been for a number of years.
"I don't see any reason though why we cannot hold our own in it.'
Aussie Hay, who also holds a UK passport, can be expected to play a large part in Portsmouth's fortunes.
As a top order batsman and a more than useful seam bowler he has the potential to make a big impact.
He is highly thought of by his home club who regard him as a good timer of the ball with the bat.
Locke also believes the English conditions will suit his seam bowling and allow him to move the ball around a lot more.
Hay will make his league debut against Totton & Eling alongside other debutant Portsmouth University student Inderpal Nandra.
Nandra played for Solihull in the Birmingham & District Premier League last season and is another all rounder.
Portsmouth will also welcome Jack and Andy Marston, who will travel back from university to play in the early part of the season.
With the emphasis on youth Portsmouth can be expected to produce a brand of exciting cricket.
"Having a number of youngsters in the team tends to lead to some dynamic cricket,' said Locke.
"They have been brought up on the modern game and approach it slightly differently to players in the past.
"The great thing is that they are always open to new ideas. and able to adapt to different conditions and situations.'
Their personnel already significantly changed from last season, Totton have been hit by an injury to the experienced Adam Carty, who fractured his cheekbone in a practice net session.
Portsmouth : Rich Locke, Will Smitherman, Inderpal Nandra, Fraser Hay, Harry Collier, Matt Shaw, Vikram Dawson, Alex Hammond, Andy Marston, Jed Whitecross, Ishi Ahmad.
Bournemouth captain Martin Miller is starting the SPL1 season with a selection headache – and is hoping to avoid a cure.
The Chapel Gate club have beefed up their resources during the winter with a string of signings including ex-Ventnor all-rounder Henry Bartlett and Millfield spinner Dom Clutterbuck, from Parley.
Dorset skipper Chris Park has returned to the club in both a playing capacity and as director of cricket, while county age group leg-spinner Jem Warner is also on board.
While the departures of bowlers Josh Finnie, Mike Kitson (to Yorkshire) and potentially David Kidner are significant, left-arm spinner and New Zealander Luke Germon is available for selection, although fierce competition means he has not been included for tomorrow's opener at home to Old Tauntonians & Romsey, which is being played on the ‘second’ ground at Chapel Gate.
Keen to improve on last season's mid-table finish, Miller admitted decisions over who to include and leave out had been debated long and hard.
He said: "We've had a real influx over the winter and our selection committee meeting on Tuesday was at least two hours long. We have real competition for places which we haven't had in recent years.
"It's difficult to know if we will be stronger. When you lose two frontline bowlers it is clearly a problem but we have recruited batsmen which was a bigger problem last year.
"It will depend how we gel as a team and if the batsmen are scoring the runs we didn't last year and if the bowlers adequately replace those we have lost, we will do better. If we play to the best of our ability we will do very well.
"Hopefully, the arrival of players will mean our availability is much better. People who miss a week shouldn't necessarily expect to retain their place when they return. That was a weakness of ours last year so, hopefully, we have addressed that.
"We picked the strongest second team I have seen at Bournemouth for a few years and that was without players who were unavailable. There were people that played in the first XI last year that didn't make the team, because we have had so many good cricketers arrive. It all bodes well.
"You are only as strong as your second XI because you need strength-in-depth and I feel on paper, we've got that. It's going to cause a selection headache which is a nice problem to have.
"But it's all very well things being good on paper, if everyone is out of form, it doesn't matter who's on your team sheet."
Bournemouth: Miller, Bridgen, Bartlett, C Park, Matthews, Hurley, Jones, Warner, Pack, Clutterbuck, Woodward.
New Zealander James O’Gorman, who played for Andover in 2010, has returned to the Lions and plays at Liphook & Ripsley.
Dave Taylor, who has emigrated to Western Australia, and the Augustus brothers have left the club.
Andover: M Hooper, Ross, O'Gorman, Treagus, Arnold, Andrews, Knight, A Hooper, Foy, Jansen
Teenage left-arm duo George Keeley and Jake Wish will share a chunk of the bowling responsibilities for Rowledge, who entertain Hook & Newnham Basics at Church Road.
Spin all-rounder Sushant Balaje, from Wellington (NZ), makes his Rowledge debut.
Rowledge: B Wish, D Lloyd, C Board, S Balajee, I Metcalfe, N Morant, T Gleave, G Keeley, J Randall, J Wish, C Yates Snr.
Calmore Sports give Matt Hardy and Australian teenager Ben Moss their competitive debuts in the Southern Premier League Division 2 derby against Fawley at Loperwood Park.
Hardy has joined the Calmore set from nearby Cadnam, while Moss hails from the Victorian sub-district club Brunswick, with whom the Totton club has long standing links.
Fawley fire South African Aashiq Rhode, from Stellenbosch wine country, into the mix, though influential spin all-rounder Wayne Royan is sidelined for a while with a soccer related arm injury.
Calmore Sports: Lavelle, Goodrich, Johns, Moss, Perry, Hardy, Rose, Pegler, West, Proudley, Wright.
Fawley: C Earl, P Marks, S Rice, J Nason, A Parratt, D Streather, K Earl, A Freeman, Godden, W Smith, A Rhode.
Tichborne Park have a tasty opener with a visit to a strengthened Sparsholt side, who are being touted as title favourites.
Tichborne Park: W Allam, T Allam, Cheyney, Reid, Bery, Long, Allen, Skinner, Bristow, Ayling, Pond.
Phil Morris steps back into the Bashley (Rydal) II hot seat after missing the whole of last season with a series leg injury.
He leads a side of youth and experience at Hambledon.
Bashley (Rydal) II: Morris, R Taylor, Maher, Lewis, Macciocchi, N Taylor, Grierson, Ede, Read, Gates, Hawkins.
Promoted Trojans host a Paultons side looking to pick up the pieces from an early season Village Cup exit at Sparsholt.
Paultons: Richman, Wateridge, Ennew, Hills, Collins, Metcalfe, Feltham, Murrell, Holgate, Lamb, Denney.
Fair Oak are back on the Southern Premier League circuit after sweeping all before them in County Division 1 last summer.
They went undefeated in the Hampshire League, but will unquestionably find tomorrow's SPL3 opener against Havant II far tougher.
Tom Hockenhull takes over the captaincy, but title winning skipper Andy Mash, Oak's leading wicket taker last term, is on hand to spearhead the attack.
Fair Oak: Hockenhull, G Stewart, E Kemp, Oxley,Sturman, Abbas, Freemantle, R Featherstone, R Stewart, J Featherstone, Mash.
Langley Manor, whose ground has been flooded over the winter months, are battling to get Knellers Lane fit for Hursley Park’s scheduled visit.
“The whole ground has been saturated and man hours galore have been put in this week in an attempt to get it fit,” says skipper Craig Renders.
If the game goes ahead, the Manor will be minus Ali Cheyne and Graham Noble.
Langley Manor:
Renders, Browne, Budd, Castle, Harris, Jenkin, Hamid, Mooney, R Noble, Morgan, Spencer.
Newly promoted Ryde’s scheduled home match with fancied Basingstoke & North Hants at Hardings Shute has been called off due to an unfit ground, while Lymington II send out a strong side against visiting Waterlooville, including one-time Surrey cricketer Richard Nowell.
Lymington II: Kelly, Sutherland, Grierson, Green, Robinson, C Moors, Nowell, K Moors, Gabb, Layman, Robertson.
James Hayward, who led the Salisbury club to the first two of those four titles, takes the reins again and plans to lead from the front against Ventnor on the Island’s Newclose county ground.
It’s not only Morton - 979 runs and 38 dismissals behind the stumps in 2015 – who will be missing from last season’s championship side.
Newly wed left-arm all-rounder Ryan Duffield, who made over 500 runs (mainly quickly) and took 41 wickets, has regained his Western Australia state contract and has not returned.
And Solent University leg spinner Jake Foley is playing for his home town Essex Premier League club Colchester & East Essex.
South Australia Under-19 captain Jake Winter, from the seaside resort of Glenelg, is South Wilts overseas recruit and has been pencilled in to open the batting alongside fellow teenager William Wade, who hit an unbeaten 98 against Corsham last weekend.
Despite losing key players, Hayward declares: “We are very much out to win the Premier Division again.
“Obviously, we’ve lost key players in Tom and Ryan and they certainly aren’t going to be replaced overnight.
“That said, we have kept the core of our side together and look forward to seeing a few senior players stepping up and watching the younger ones progress and hopefully cement their place in the Southern Premier League.”
Sam Pittman, who won the SPL3 wicket-keeping award with South Wilts promotion winning second team last season, is expected to don the gloves at Newclose.
Hayward has yet to reveal his hand in terms of team selection for the island trip, but left-hander Eddie Abel has a back injury and is replaced by Jack Mynott.
Abel’s absence will mean SW being without three of last season’s top six run getters.
Ventnor, perennially slow starters, continue to lose players who move off the island, although they are hoping Tom Friend will play the whole season.
Henry Bartlett has transferred to Bournemouth, while James Cheek is nursing a soccer-related broken arm.
They have signed former New South Wales U19 fast bowler Alex Glendenning, who took a First Grade hat-trick for Sydney this winter.
Runners up to South Wilts for the past three seasons, Havant are anxious to go one better this time around, with all-rounder Ben Walker back at the helm.
They face a testing opener against Alton at the Jubilee Ground, where the presence of Melbourne University’s Dan Hutton should strengthen their batting.
Andy Gorvin is expected to enjoy a successful season after doing well in Melbourne this winter.
He played Grade cricket for Camberwell Magpies (formerly Collingwood) alongside left-arm spin all-rounder Tom Vanderslik, who is spending the summer with Havant.
The anticipated title chasers are without Durham University’s Ron Gibson and left-arm spin all-rounder Chris Morgan for the time being.
Alton: S Myers, Hutton, Hammond, J.Myers, M.P.Heffernan, M.J.Heffernan, Janmohammed, Paul, Mortimer, Salmon, Ballinger.
Havant: B.Walker, P.Hopson, S.Ransley, R.Hindley, A.Gorvin, S.Matthews, C.Stone, T.Vanderslik, J.Bulled, S.Loat, E.Windsor.
Bashley (Rydal), already weakened by the departure of star all-rounder Richard Morris to Henley, have more cracks to paper over on the eve of the New Forest derby with Lymington at the BCG.
Replacement captain Michael Porter has lost bowling pair Jake Lilley (thumb) and Simon Ridley, sidelined with a hockey-sustained broken index finger.
Now Solent University all-rounder Richard Lock has decided not to play for the club.
Talented spinner Ryan Macciocchi, who has joined Bash from powerful North East Premier League side Tynemouth, is surprisingly left out and travels to Hambledon with the seconds.
“We’ve decided to play an extra batsman and go with just six bowlers,” Porter explained.
No such problems for Lymington, who might be an outside title bet this season.
In-form Hampshire seconds batsman Lewis McManus is in their line-up.
Bashley (Rydal): Gates, Thurgood, Jacques, Porter, Bailiff, Watkins, Ridley, Digby, Neal, Thomson, Nash
Lymington: Beetham, Ellis, Freeman, Hand, Rogers, McManus, Scott, Blake, Grierson, Metcalfe, Crabb
South African Geoff Dods has returned from a successful winter in Cape Town to continue for a fourth season as Burridge's overseas player.
The all-rounder led Cape Town into third place in the recent CSA national club championships in Pretoria, the mother city side having won the Western Province pennant.
Dods plays for a largely unchanged Burridge side against a very youthful Hampshire Academy - the match having been switched to the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground.
Joe Weatherley leads a young and inexperienced Academy team, which includes five schoolboys who have yet to even sit their GCSE examinations !
Academy: Weatherley, Kantolinna, Duggan, McCoy, Gadd, Holly, Goodwin, Pardoe, South, S Alsop, Drakeley.
Burridge: Ankers, Hewitt, Steward, Collings-Wells, Savident, Dods, Richards, Houlton, Stancliffe, Murray, McMurray.
St Cross Symondians have four new faces in their side to face newly promoted New Milton in tomorrow’s ECB Southern Premier Division curtain raiser at Fernhill, 1pm.
Two of them will occupy top order batting positions, with New Zealand Black Caps One-Day International all-rounder George Worker back for a second stay at the Winchester club.
Louis Kimber, who has joined from top Lincolnshire side Sleaford, will join the Central Districts left-hander and teenager Matt Stokes in a potentially powerful top four.
Greg Hollins, a fitness coach with Hampshire, will don the wicket-keeping gloves, with Army all-rounder Kesler Baptiste beefing up the pace attack.
New Milton won the Division 1 title last season and are making their debut at Premier Division level.
They have brought in New Zealander Dave Wakefield to bolster their batting and have former Totton & Eling keeper Tom Arnold behind the stumps,
The Green & Golds rely on last season’s successful bowling attack, with promising 32-wicket teenager George Watts taking the new ball.
New Milton: J Park, Arnold, L Beck, Edwards, Elliott, Gargaro, Haggaty, Loader, N Park, Wakefield, Watts.
St Cross Symondians: Taylor, Young, Stokes, Kimber, Worker, Ayres, Hollins, Bransgrove, Baptiste, Marsh, Farooq.
St Cross Symondians have four new faces in their side to face newly promoted New Milton in tomorrow’s ECB Southern Premier Division curtain raiser at Fernhill, 1pm.
Two of them will occupy top order batting positions, with New Zealand Black Caps One-Day International all-rounder George Worker back for a second stay at the Winchester club.
Louis Kimber, who has joined from top Lincolnshire side Sleaford, will join the Central Districts left-hander and teenager Matt Stokes in a potentially powerful top four.
Greg Hollins, a fitness coach with Hampshire, will don the wicket-keeping gloves, with Army all-rounder Kesler Baptiste beefing up the pace attack.
New Milton won the Division 1 title last season and are making their debut at Premier Division level.
They have brought in New Zealander Dave Wakefield to bolster their batting and have former Totton & Eling keeper Tom Arnold behind the stumps,
The Green & Golds rely on last season’s successful bowling attack, with promising 32-wicket teenager George Watts taking the new ball.
New Milton: J Park, Arnold, L Beck, Edwards, Elliott, Gargaro, Haggaty, Loader, N Park, Wakefield, Watts.
St Cross Symondians: Taylor, Young, Stokes, Kimber, Worker, Ayres, Hollins, Bransgrove, Baptiste, Marsh, Farooq.
Sarisbury Athletic, who last year lost their hard earned Premier Division after just one season at the top, hope Basil Akram will come to the fore when they launch their Southern Premier League, Division 1 challenge against Basingstoke & North Hants at May’s Bounty.
Akram has been in magnificent early season form for Loughborough University and has high hopes of landing a contract at a First Class county.
He is one of only six survivors from last season’s relegated side – former skipper Dave Banks being among those to leave the club – but the arrival of Harry Hovey, pictured, the hero of Hampshire Under-17’s ECB County Championship triumph at Arundel last summer, gives the batting a boost.
Basingstoke have been dubbed as early season favourites for the title, but new skipper Mitchell Stokes has an on-going knee problem and may sit the game out.
Basingstoke & North Hants: Froud, Belcher, Julin, Stokes, Williamson, King, James, Jolley, Benge, Thankachan, Porter.
Sarisbury Athletic: Journeaux, Rawlins, Covey, Akram, Lovett, Hovey, Floyd, Sanders, Stewart-Hill, Allmark, Jewell.
Newly promoted Portsmouth have a new man at the helm as they start their campaign against Totton & Eling at St Helen’s, Southsea.
Rich Locke has taken over the captaincy from Dave Henderson as Portsmouth look to consolidate their place at the higher level.
The new captain has a largely young squad at his disposal but is optimistic they can cope with the new demands.
He is also encouraged by the arrival of Fraser Hay, a 19 year old hard-hitting all rounder from the Melville Grade club in Perth, Western Australia.
"I have some big boots to fill taking over from Dave Henderson who led the club to two promotions,' said Locke.
"It is another step up for us as a team after winning promotion on the final day of last season.
"We still have the nucleus of last season's squad plus a couple of additions.
"The club is still in a rebuilding phase but our investment into youth cricket over the last few years is starting to pay off.
"A lot of our players are now in the 19-20 year age bracket and have come through the ranks together.
"They are a tight knit group and that should stand them in good stead.
"In addition Fraser Hay looks like being a good acquisition for us.
"There is no doubt that this season is going to be a challenge because the league looks stronger than it has been for a number of years.
"I don't see any reason though why we cannot hold our own in it.'
Aussie Hay, who also holds a UK passport, can be expected to play a large part in Portsmouth's fortunes.
As a top order batsman and a more than useful seam bowler he has the potential to make a big impact.
He is highly thought of by his home club who regard him as a good timer of the ball with the bat.
Locke also believes the English conditions will suit his seam bowling and allow him to move the ball around a lot more.
Hay will make his league debut against Totton & Eling alongside other debutant Portsmouth University student Inderpal Nandra.
Nandra played for Solihull in the Birmingham & District Premier League last season and is another all rounder.
Portsmouth will also welcome Jack and Andy Marston, who will travel back from university to play in the early part of the season.
With the emphasis on youth Portsmouth can be expected to produce a brand of exciting cricket.
"Having a number of youngsters in the team tends to lead to some dynamic cricket,' said Locke.
"They have been brought up on the modern game and approach it slightly differently to players in the past.
"The great thing is that they are always open to new ideas. and able to adapt to different conditions and situations.'
Their personnel already significantly changed from last season, Totton have been hit by an injury to the experienced Adam Carty, who fractured his cheekbone in a practice net session.
Portsmouth : Rich Locke, Will Smitherman, Inderpal Nandra, Fraser Hay, Harry Collier, Matt Shaw, Vikram Dawson, Alex Hammond, Andy Marston, Jed Whitecross, Ishi Ahmad.
Bournemouth captain Martin Miller is starting the SPL1 season with a selection headache – and is hoping to avoid a cure.
The Chapel Gate club have beefed up their resources during the winter with a string of signings including ex-Ventnor all-rounder Henry Bartlett and Millfield spinner Dom Clutterbuck, from Parley.
Dorset skipper Chris Park has returned to the club in both a playing capacity and as director of cricket, while county age group leg-spinner Jem Warner is also on board.
While the departures of bowlers Josh Finnie, Mike Kitson (to Yorkshire) and potentially David Kidner are significant, left-arm spinner and New Zealander Luke Germon is available for selection, although fierce competition means he has not been included for tomorrow's opener at home to Old Tauntonians & Romsey, which is being played on the ‘second’ ground at Chapel Gate.
Keen to improve on last season's mid-table finish, Miller admitted decisions over who to include and leave out had been debated long and hard.
He said: "We've had a real influx over the winter and our selection committee meeting on Tuesday was at least two hours long. We have real competition for places which we haven't had in recent years.
"It's difficult to know if we will be stronger. When you lose two frontline bowlers it is clearly a problem but we have recruited batsmen which was a bigger problem last year.
"It will depend how we gel as a team and if the batsmen are scoring the runs we didn't last year and if the bowlers adequately replace those we have lost, we will do better. If we play to the best of our ability we will do very well.
"Hopefully, the arrival of players will mean our availability is much better. People who miss a week shouldn't necessarily expect to retain their place when they return. That was a weakness of ours last year so, hopefully, we have addressed that.
"We picked the strongest second team I have seen at Bournemouth for a few years and that was without players who were unavailable. There were people that played in the first XI last year that didn't make the team, because we have had so many good cricketers arrive. It all bodes well.
"You are only as strong as your second XI because you need strength-in-depth and I feel on paper, we've got that. It's going to cause a selection headache which is a nice problem to have.
"But it's all very well things being good on paper, if everyone is out of form, it doesn't matter who's on your team sheet."
Bournemouth: Miller, Bridgen, Bartlett, C Park, Matthews, Hurley, Jones, Warner, Pack, Clutterbuck, Woodward.
New Zealander James O’Gorman, who played for Andover in 2010, has returned to the Lions and plays at Liphook & Ripsley.
Dave Taylor, who has emigrated to Western Australia, and the Augustus brothers have left the club.
Andover: M Hooper, Ross, O'Gorman, Treagus, Arnold, Andrews, Knight, A Hooper, Foy, Jansen
Teenage left-arm duo George Keeley and Jake Wish will share a chunk of the bowling responsibilities for Rowledge, who entertain Hook & Newnham Basics at Church Road.
Spin all-rounder Sushant Balaje, from Wellington (NZ), makes his Rowledge debut.
Rowledge: B Wish, D Lloyd, C Board, S Balajee, I Metcalfe, N Morant, T Gleave, G Keeley, J Randall, J Wish, C Yates Snr.
Calmore Sports give Matt Hardy and Australian teenager Ben Moss their competitive debuts in the Southern Premier League Division 2 derby against Fawley at Loperwood Park.
Hardy has joined the Calmore set from nearby Cadnam, while Moss hails from the Victorian sub-district club Brunswick, with whom the Totton club has long standing links.
Fawley fire South African Aashiq Rhode, from Stellenbosch wine country, into the mix, though influential spin all-rounder Wayne Royan is sidelined for a while with a soccer related arm injury.
Calmore Sports: Lavelle, Goodrich, Johns, Moss, Perry, Hardy, Rose, Pegler, West, Proudley, Wright.
Fawley: C Earl, P Marks, S Rice, J Nason, A Parratt, D Streather, K Earl, A Freeman, Godden, W Smith, A Rhode.
Tichborne Park have a tasty opener with a visit to a strengthened Sparsholt side, who are being touted as title favourites.
Tichborne Park: W Allam, T Allam, Cheyney, Reid, Bery, Long, Allen, Skinner, Bristow, Ayling, Pond.
Phil Morris steps back into the Bashley (Rydal) II hot seat after missing the whole of last season with a series leg injury.
He leads a side of youth and experience at Hambledon.
Bashley (Rydal) II: Morris, R Taylor, Maher, Lewis, Macciocchi, N Taylor, Grierson, Ede, Read, Gates, Hawkins.
Promoted Trojans host a Paultons side looking to pick up the pieces from an early season Village Cup exit at Sparsholt.
Paultons: Richman, Wateridge, Ennew, Hills, Collins, Metcalfe, Feltham, Murrell, Holgate, Lamb, Denney.
Fair Oak are back on the Southern Premier League circuit after sweeping all before them in County Division 1 last summer.
They went undefeated in the Hampshire League, but will unquestionably find tomorrow's SPL3 opener against Havant II far tougher.
Tom Hockenhull takes over the captaincy, but title winning skipper Andy Mash, Oak's leading wicket taker last term, is on hand to spearhead the attack.
Fair Oak: Hockenhull, G Stewart, E Kemp, Oxley,Sturman, Abbas, Freemantle, R Featherstone, R Stewart, J Featherstone, Mash.
Langley Manor, whose ground has been flooded over the winter months, are battling to get Knellers Lane fit for Hursley Park’s scheduled visit.
“The whole ground has been saturated and man hours galore have been put in this week in an attempt to get it fit,” says skipper Craig Renders.
If the game goes ahead, the Manor will be minus Ali Cheyne and Graham Noble.
Langley Manor:
Renders, Browne, Budd, Castle, Harris, Jenkin, Hamid, Mooney, R Noble, Morgan, Spencer.
Newly promoted Ryde’s scheduled home match with fancied Basingstoke & North Hants at Hardings Shute has been called off due to an unfit ground, while Lymington II send out a strong side against visiting Waterlooville, including one-time Surrey cricketer Richard Nowell.
Lymington II: Kelly, Sutherland, Grierson, Green, Robinson, C Moors, Nowell, K Moors, Gabb, Layman, Robertson.