COUNTY 2 PROMOTION RACE TOUGH TO CALL

Another Season Another Prediction -

Chiv's prediction for County 2 this year with the help of some of the County 1-2 & 3 skippers.

I thank them all for giving us their feedback.

Last year 1 out of 3 right for promotion (Shrewton) will do better this year.

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Out of the four seasons I have done this - This is the toughest yet.

Apart form Shrewton and Ellingham the league last season was evenly balanced with everyone taking points off each.

After many years in County 1 Bramshaw were relegated last year after finishing rock bottom with a 3-11 record.

Unfortunately unavailabilty really hampered the forest club who put out three sides each Saturday and rely on local talent rather than overseas players.

Dave Streather at Fawley described them as an ageing side but are very dangerous at home with the short boundary. Dave felt they should be in the top 6 with good youngsters coming through.

None of their players made it into the divisions top 20 batsman though Jon Wall finished 11th in the bowling taking 19 wickets at 15.32

Always think Cadnam under achieve. Last year they finished 8th which must have been a disappointment for them with a 7-7 record. So what about this season - skipper Matt Maiden has recruited another aussie Scott Waterman from Greenvale Cricket Club where they previously got Dale McDonald and Andrew Pizzaro.

Matt will be hoping Scott has the same impact Sean Durston Ryan had last year when he finished 3rd in the league averages scoring 806 runs at 62.00. Saffi Sahib also had a good first season for the club finishing 6th in the averages with 554 runs @ 55.40. Surprisingly none of their bowlers made the top 20.

Matt hopes some of the younger players will step upto the mark this season and he predicts a top 6 finish.

After three consecutive promotions East Tytherley finished a respectable 7th last season with a 8-7 record.

Despite Dan Babidge 136 and Will Edwards 117 both scoring tons - none of the batsman made the leagues top 20. Skipper Richard Kersey though finshed 4th in the bowling taking 30 wickets @ 12.90. Bob Pearce also made it into the top 20 taking 16 wickets @ 16.10

Though we beat them last August you felt that on their day if they had something to go for they could be a decent side.

Flamingo finshed 12th last season with a 5-8 record which is surprising as against us they looked a decent side.

The batting was steady - Jon Greer topped the batting last season scoring 242 runs @ 35. Three other players scored over 200 runs - Richard Manthorpe 237, Ian Heath 234 and Steve Wright 203. However the bowling struggled only 38 bowling points all season the second lowest.

Ian Heath 17 wkts and Steve Wright 16 wkts were the most successive bowlers but no players got into the leagues top 20 batting or bowling.

Big surprise seeing Hursley Park drop down into County 2. Not even their lovely ground could prevent them finishing 17th with a 3-12 record in 2009.

Dave Streather said he'd heard that a big change in personnel was the main reason for their demise.

Last season the evergreen Chris Westbrook took 6-18 vs Mudeford and Paul Davies and Matt Branford shared a 200 run stand vs Portsmouth but no players made it into the top 20 of batting or bowling. Steve Jones was the sides top batting averages @ 24.36 and Jeremy Edmunds the bowling with 19 Wkts @ 23.26.

With a thriving Colts section surely the Winchester side will bounce back quickly

4 Back to back promotions for the Salisbury side after finishing 3rd last year with a 10-4 record.

Batting looks like their strength with Joe Cranch finished 6th in the divisions batting averages scoring 579 runs @ 44.54. George Shepherd 8th with 480 @ 40.00 and Andy Harms 11th 456 @ 38.00

Two bowlers made it into the top 20 - Johnny Shears (16th) 18 wkts @ 18.06 and Nick Lawrence (17th) 22 wkts @ 18.23

Simon Jones skipper at Bishops Waltham compares Idlers to East Tytherly and feels after the back to back promotions they will find their home in County 2 in mid table.

Pleased to see Hook & N.Basics bounce straight back into County 2 as Champions as they were unlucky to go down in the first place.

A 12-2 record saw them finish above Sarisbury and Idlers last season though secretary Tim Sutcliffe feels a mid table position this season is the expectation. Tim says ' were not the youngest side in the world but we have a lot of experience'.

84 batting & 61 bowling points last season prove their a good all round side. Two batsman made the top 20 in the league averages - Vinny Gardner (7th) 240 runs @ 40 and Barry Goldman (18th) 331 @ 31.10.

Bowling Kish Parmer topped the league averages with 28 wkts @ 10.50. Keith Lovelock (7th) 22 wkts @ 16.05 also made the top 20.

Simon Jones compares them to Old Basing and feels a top 6 spot is possible and deserved as they have one of the best grounds in the divison.

Finished 10th last year with a 7-8 record which was an improvement on 2008. Batting was certainly Hungerford's strength with 83 batting points last year.

Aussie M.Watterson topped the leagues batting averages 744 runs @ 74.40. He was well assisted by S.Annettes 324 runs @ 46.3. Bowling K.Skeats finished 9th in the County 2 averages 32 wkts @ 32.8.

If the tradition of a good aussie continues then another mid table finish possible.

Will this be Langley Manor's year !!! Their ambitious registering aussie ------- from the Ricky Ponting Academy for the season.

Last seasons 6th place finish 9-5 record could be seen as a disappointment. Mike Spencer (294 runs @ 49) finished 11th in the County 2 batting averages with Naz Ayub (379 runs @ 37.9) 19th. The Bowling was lead by Jamie Brown (26 wkts @ 16.20) who finished 11th in the County 2 averages.

Jamie has stepped down as skipper this year and handed it to Graham Noble. Asked how he thought they'd do - Jamie said ' As well as the australian - Azzeem Hamid has rejoined the club plus we have two lads from Loughborough University. We also have Ally Cheyn joined us from Totton & Eling so can't wait to get going'.

With Roy Peters, Craig Renders and Graham Noble to support they should be up there this year and get the promotion their club deserves.

But Jamie's playing safe - look at his promotion predictions below.

Our old mate Simon Naylor takes charge of the Linnetts this year and hopes to improve on the 9th place finish last time out.

On Lmington's bone hard wicket batting was certainly their strength with 81 points collected. Bowling not surprisingly struggled only 56 points. Naylor himself finished leading batsman for Lymington last year with 271 runs @ 38.71 and 11th in the league averages. No other batsman or bowler made the top 20.

Simon though is confident about this year saying ' We have a couple of new faces this year plus some good youngsters coming through. I'm looking forward to it. The priority for the team is to regain Division 1 status in the Hampshire Cricket League so that it narrows the playing gap between our first & second teams. Plenty of players are available this year although the bowling department needs an injection of pace'.

Steve Taylor takes on the captaincy again this year hoping they can improve on last seasons 15th position.

Batting was a real struggle last season with only 56 points gained. Steve Tilbury was the main stay of the bowling 19 wickets @ 16.50.

Unless the club has an influx of players it could be another year of disappointment.

Old Basing's first season in County 2 finished with a 5th place finish. The batting was dominated by the Wilcox brothers - Nick scoring 806 runs @ 62 and Richard 639 @ 49.2. Matt Donaldson's 15 wkts @ 16.30 and Daniel Belcher 18 @ 16.50 lead the bowling.

89 batting points and only 57 bowling points probably explains their weekness. Get a couple of bowlers then they'll be right up there again.

Relegated Portsmouth finished a 16th last season despite winning 5 games.

Dave Streather says 'of the three teams dropping down Portsmouth are the most unpredictable. If they put out the decent side they can they will walk the league but if they continue the obvious decline look for them in the bottom half.'

Purbrook's finish of 13th last season was a slight improvement on the year before with a 5-9 record. With their 1st XI releagted from Southern League Div 3 to County 1 theirs now only one division between the two sides.

If there going to do well this season they need to improve on only 45 bowling points in 2009.

Andy Holder again lead from the front with the bat 715 runs @ 59.6. No other batsman scored over 150 runs.

The bowling - 19 wkts a piece for Gordy Charles and Nigel Kenny but they missed the presence of veteran Graham McCoy who only played 5 games.

Could be a difficult summer for P&P

4th place finish last year with a 11-4 but everyone says how !!!

If as expected Tom Gates joins Fawley then it will be a big blow for the foresters who don't have the biggest of squads.

Gates 760 runs last year was a big factor in Pylewell's success. The ageless Clive Kitcher finished top of the County 2 bowling averages taking 35 wickets @ 9.28.

14th place finish last season with a 4-10 record. Ropley were another team that struggled with their bolwing - only 49 bowling points all season.

M.Peters had a decent season with the bat 405 runs @ 45. R.Wood 19 wkts @ 17.2 and M.Munday 15 wkts @ 18.30 topped the bowling.

South African M.Teiqiera didn't have the best of seasons after Ropleys previous successes with overseas players.

Could struggle to stay in the divison.

One of the most improved clubs in the County over the past five years. Promoted Sarisbury II's finished 3rd last season with a 10-3 record.

Phil Journeaux had a good season with the bat 505 runs @ 50.5. Dawood Agha was the pick of the bowlers 24 wkts @ 17.1.

Club stalwart Andy Oliphant says ' Our 2nd X1 strength obviously depends on the first X1 picking up new players and keeping existing ones. We have lost our young opening bowler to Bournemouth and last years skipper is taking a year out to spend time with his kids. We have however picked up 1 new signing from Hamble who could be a 1st team player plus hopefully we will have the services of an overseas player in time for the start of the season.

We also have 3 guys returning to the club who will all be 1st/2nd teamers so overall things r looking good. 2nd team skipper is looking to consolidate and hopes for a mid table finish unless the returning guys prove to be on top form when a top 6 finish might be possible. Can't see us getting back to back promotions but i guess you never know.'

Sorry Andy disagree - One of my predictions for promotion

If everyone stays fit - this could be the year !!!. The clubs healthy for players and good young colts are coming through.

South African Adriaan de Jagar joins the club and Matt Howe's spell in South Africa has done wonders for his batting and confidence. Hopefully it will be like having a new player. If we can keep Weallo playing as long as possible and if Saunders and Froggett can again find 20+ wickets then bowling won't be a problem especially with the talented off spinner Ben Smith playing Saturdays this year.

Batting if we can get Wrighty back playing regularly, with confidence - with skipper Si Dixon and Kev James fit then we have a good chance. We can't rely on Rich Froggetts excellent season with the bat happening again but Rob James should have better luck at the crease this year.

	Matt Maiden Cadnam		Jamie Brown Langley Manor
Hythe & Dibden	Langley Manor	Old Basing	Idlers	Langley Manor	Old Basing
Langley Manor	Old Basing	Bramshaw	Pylewell Park	Hythe & Dibden	Langley Manor
Cadnam	Lymington	Hythe & Dibden	Old Basing	Hursley Park	Pylewell Park