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Andover minus four for crunch clash with B.A.T.
Mike Vimpany (as produced in the Southern Daily Echo) - 20 June 2002
Andover's bid to remain in the ECB Southern Electric Premier League leadership race has been hit by the absence of four key players against all-day specialists BAT Sports at London Road tomorrow, 11 o'clock.
Jerry Hayward, all-rounder Ian Langdown and opening bowler Dean Woodhouse, along with fractured wrist victim Toby Radford, are absent against BAT, who have moved menacingly into second place behind Havant.
Andover led the field for the first six weeks of the season, but crashed to a heavy defeat in their opening `time' game at Portsmouth last week.
Second XI captain Tim Keighley and teenager Rob James, who hit an unbeaten Hampshire League half-century last week, get the Andover call.
BAT, all-conquering in all-day cricket since June last year, are unchanged, with left-arm paceman Dan Goldstraw eager to build upon his six-wicket return against Bashley (Rydal) last week.
Leaders Havant are without Steve Snell, on Lord's groundstaff duty at the Benson & Hedges Cup final, against lowly Burridge at Havant Park.
Burridge, in need of a victory after playing only four games so far, surprisingly knocked Havant out of the SEC Cup in midweek.
Also in need of a bonus are second-from-bottom Calmore Sports, who entertain Portsmouth at Loperwood Park. Teenager Doug Bellchamber, plagued with back problems, returns for Portsmouth, who otherwise field the side which trounced Andover last week.
Bashley (Rydal) have slipped down the table after a series of inept batting performances. Fit-again Chris Sketchley returns from an ankle injury and John Whiting is back for the trip to South Wilts.
"Lower Bemerton is normally a road," said beleaguered skipper Neil Taylor. "So we have every reason to apply ourselves and get some runs on it.
"We've had one batting failure after another and the fact that Hampshire's James Tomlinson is playing for Cardiff University tomorrow should boost our chances of getting some runs on the board."
South Wilts are also without Tim Lamb, but have Russell Rowe anxious to improve on his 330-run tally for the season.
Teenager Tom Webley faces an exhausting 400-mile tea-time trek from Blackpool to play for Bournemouth at Liphook & Ripsley.
Webley has been in Blackpool this week playing for Somerset in a Second XI Championship match against Lancashire II.
"If the game goes the distance, I can't see myself getting back to Bournemouth until the early hours of tomorrow (SAT) morning," Webley explained from his seaside hotel last night.
"And I've go to be at Chapel Gate for an 8.30am departure, so it looks as though I'll be eating my cornflakes going along in the car !"
Alex Allum, who hit a match-winning 67 not out for Bournemouth's Hampshire League side at Basingstoke & North Hants last week, could be poised for a first team recall.
David Kidner pulled up with a recurrence of a long standing back injury in last week's drawn match with Calmore Sports and could miss the Liphook trip.
© SPCL
| Players/Umpires | Toby Radford, Daniel Goldstraw, Stephen Snell, Neil Taylor, James Tomlinson, Timothy Lamb, Russell Rowe, Thomas Webley, David Kidner. |
| Tournaments | Southern Electric Premier League |
| Season | English Domestic Season |