Hampshire batsman Derek Kenway has stunned his home town club by leaving so he can develop his wicketkeeping and his batting on a 'better wicket'.

Botley-based Kenway, 24, was under contract until the end of the 2004 season but yesterday he handed in a written request to leave, which was accepted.

He said: "The main reason I've decided to leave is because I haven't had the chance to keep wicket since I returned from the England Academy.

"I love Hampshire Cricket to death and it was not an easy decision. It's my home town club and I've got a lot of friends here but the wicket helped me make my mind up.

"The Rose Bowl isn't the greatest place to bat at the moment and I don't know how long it will take to settle down.

"I don't want to regret anything at the end of my career so I've decided that now is the right time to move on. I'm looking for a club that will give me one-day wicketkeeping duties as well as being a frontline batsman on a very good batting wicket.

"I'm not going to get that at Hampshire. Iain Brunnschweiler, Nic Pothas and Adie Aymes are all top quality wicketkeepers and I need a new challenge - a kick up the backside."

After Hampshire reluctantly agreed to Kenway's request, director of cricket Tim Tremlett said: "We're sorry to lose a player of Derek's potential but we don't want to keep an unhappy player."

Kenway arrived back from his year with the England Academy in March determined to challenge for a place in the England one-day side as a wicketkeeper-batsman.

But, after spending last season as Hampshire's gloveman in the Norwich Union League, he was replaced by Nic Pothas behind the stumps.

Then, at the beginning of July, Fareham-born Kenway was dropped from the championship side after the draw with Sussex, having scored 238 runs at a disappointing average of 18.30.

Like most of his teammates, he struggled for runs on a Rose Bowl track that cost the club eight championship points.

He has not played championship cricket for more than two months and will now leave the county he represented at schoolboy level with a first class batting average of 31 - and a lot of good memories.

Kenway, who attended Botley primary and St George's secondary schools, has also been left out of the last six NUL games but is adamant that was not the reason to look for pastures new.

"I didn't deserve to get back in the side," he admitted.

Kenway made his Hampshire debut in 1997 but his annus mirabilis was 1999, the year he scored his maiden hundred and hit 1,000 first class runs.

It was a purple patch in July last year, one month after he had been awarded his county cap, that helped secure his place on the Academy.

Kenway followed up a career best 166 against Nottinghamshire at The Rose Bowl with a spectacular 70 in the win against Australia

Hampshire will reveal which out of contract players will be released early next week.

Giles White, Jason Laney, Alan Mullally, Iain Brunnschweiler and James Hamblin are among those whose deals expire at the end of the month.

© Daily Echo