The introduction of the Hampshire Academy team into the Southern Electric Premier League’s Second Division is certain to add spice to a potential intriguing tussle for the honours

Mike Vimpany (as published in Daily Echo 30/04/02)02-May-2002The introduction of the Hampshire Academy team into the Southern Electric Premier League’s Second Division is certain to add spice to a potential intriguing tussle for the honours.County Second XI coach Tony Middleton plans to field three or four young professionals alongside his fledgling youngsters in the 50-over Division 2 matches.The Young Hawks, who have effectively replaced Thames Valley League bound Cove, face Sparsholt in their opening on the Rose Bowl Nursery ground on Saturday, 1pm.Middleton, who scored over 5,000 First Class runs for Hampshire prior to his retirement in 1995, will initially lead a raw, but talented Hawks team. It will include the five Academy students Tom Burrows, Martin Bushell, Luke Merry, Mark Mitchell and highly rated New Milton all-rounder David Wheeler.”Some of the youngsters are very inexperienced, but the Premier League promises to be a vital breeding ground for them; an arena in which they can develop their skills,” Middleton emphasised.Second XI regulars like Iain Brunnschweiler, Lawrie Prittipaul, Irfan Shah and James Schofield are among the ‘young pros’ likely to play. “Our team selection will obviously depend on Hampshire first team calls and, insofar as this Saturday is concerned, will hinge on Benson & Hedges Cup squad selection,” Middleton said.The Hampshire CCC Academy squad is : Tom Burrows, Martin Bushell (Finchampstead), David Griffiths (Sandown), Peter Hammond (Sarisbury Athletic), Ian Hilsum (Ventnor), Kevin Latouf (Millfield), James Manning (Andover), Luke Merry (Thame), Mark Mitchell (Ventnor), Alex Richardson (Locks Heath), Mitchell Stokes (Basingstoke & North Hants), David Wheeler (New Milton).Middleton’s emphasis will be on player development, but he wants his Academy side playing in the ‘Gold’ Division sooner rather than later.Hungerford, Lymington, United Services and newly promoted Winchester KS are expected to be among the Second Division front runners.Relegated from Premier 1 at the end of last season, Hungerford are clearly aiming for a ‘quick fix’ and have busily recruited former Sussex wicketkeeper Nick Wilton and Devon medium-pace bowler Paul Warren, in addition to welcoming back burly Steve Wyatt, who spent last season at nearby Falkland.Former MCC Young Professional all-rounder Owen Dawkins, who plays Minor Counties Championship cricket for Wales, will captain Hungerford.On paper, Lymington are capable of beating most sides, but all too often they flatter to deceive. Daniel Peacock, the club’s former Zimbabwe A off-spinner, takes over the Lymington captaincy from Neil Trestrail.Ben Craft and Glyn Treagus ought to be among the principal divisional run scorers, with Western Australia Under-19 left-arm spinning all-rounder Aaron Heal an interesting addition to the side.It took United Services a month or so last season before they even got off the mark but, once Gary Hounsome got a settled side together, the results began to come.Typical of a Services team, playing personnel at Burnaby Road has changed quite dramatically. The return of Royal Navy opener Pete Andrew and left-arm spinner John Mann will be significant, but Jacob Barnard and Tom Clarke are, as yet, unknown quantities.Wicketkeeper Warren Gilmour, 21, is an intriguing arrival from Zimbabwe. “Warren is a very accomplished cricketer, besides being an International standard hockey player,” recalled Lymington’s Daniel Peacock, who played against Gilmour in Zimbabwe.If Sussex pace bowler Billy Taylor turns out regularly – he is primarily a 1-day limited-overs player at Hove at the moment – Winchester will take some beating.Paul Marks and that ultra-talented sportsman Jimmy Taylor are proven run-getters, while the arrival of the nomadic Archie Norris (late of Hambledon and Finchampstead) should compensate for the loss of Raj Naik, who seems unlikely to return from his native India.The remaining four Second Division sides – Easton & Martyr Worthy, Rowledge, Sparsholt and Trojans – are all very capable of beating one another.Quarter-finalists in the Wadworth 6X Village Championship last season, Easton are a highly competitive outfit, capable of overturning the best, especially in their Cocket’s Mead ‘bowl.’Already boasting the proven Green brothers, they are strengthened by the return of Ben Collins from overseas and the arrival – from the Victorian outback – of Francis Gilly, a left-hand medium-pace bowler and batsman.But skipper Steve Green has one main aim – to avoid relegation !”This is going to be a very competitive league and our primary objective is to avoid finishing in the bottom two relegation positions,” he emphasised.Lack of batting depth is a worry for Trojans, who – initially at any rate – are expected to run without any assistance from overseas.Sparsholt, who struggled badly from unavailabilities last season, have an interesting newcomer in Australian-born Doug Tongue who showed his batting pedigree with a century against Lymington in a Sunday friendly last September.Rob Savage leads Sparsholt, who have lost Will Marriner to St Cross Symondians, their Winchester neighbours.Rowledge, who finished runners-up to Winchester after stringing together ten successive wins during the second half of last summer, accept they may struggle at first.”We’ve got a lot of lads away at university for the initial six weeks of the season,” conceded veteran bowler Chris Yates, who is currently sidelined after a hip operation.Among the initial absentees is Cardiff University CCE all-rounder Chris Yates, who has played regularly for the Hampshire Board XI for the past two seasons.