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Hampshire Board select experience for Ireland clash
Mike Vimpany - 7 September 2001
Havant's Paul Gover has been appointed to captain a new look Hampshire Board side in next Thursday's key Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy 2002 second round tie against Ireland at the Rose Bowl, 10.45am.
Gover has introduced a much more experienced look to the side, and will have Hampshire Cricket Development Officer Mark Garaway, from Ventnor, as his vice-captain.
"This is a very important match for Hampshire recreational cricket," Gover stressed.
"Beat Ireland and we are guaranteed a home tie against a First Class county in what amounts to the competition proper next season.
"And that could equate to a financial windfall for local cricket," he pointed out.
Gover will lead a well balanced side into action against Ireland, who defeated Wiltshire by 85 runs in the last round.
"All 11 are very good batsmen. We've got four seamers and two spinners; in all, a pretty good side," Gover said.
The Hampshire Board side is : Paul Gover (captain), Richard Hindley, Andrew Perry (Havant), Dave Greetham, Chris Knight, Paul Marks (Winchester KS), Richard Dibden (BAT Sports), Roger Miller (Andover), Mark Garaway, Steve Snell (Ventnor), Chris Yates (Rowledge).
The Irish, meanwhile, are still coming to terms with a series of poor performances in both the mid-summer ICC Trophy in Canada and, more recently, in the Triple Crown tournament held in Sussex last month.
They lost all three games in the tri-nations competition, having failed to qualify for the next World Cup after producing a series of below-par performances in Toronto.
Those poor displays have led to Ken Rutherford, the former New Zealand Test captain, quitting as Ireland coach - after Thursday's game.
Gover is experienced enough to realise his Board side could face an Irish backlash.
"This is the last throw of the dice for the Ireland lads - even to the extent that it greatly affects what they do next season - and they are going to be out to beat us, make no mistake about that," he warned.
Ireland pulled off one of the major surprises in the previously sponsored NatWest Trophy in 1997, when they beat Middlesex in Dublin.
Former Sussex player Andy Patterson is in their line up on Thursday
© Mike Vimpany
| Teams | England. |
| First Class Teams | Hampshire. |
| Players/Umpires | Mark Garaway, Richard Hindley, Andrew Perry, Christopher Knight, Paul Marks, Richard Rockley Dibden, Roger Miller, Christopher Yates, Ken Rutherford, Andrew Patterson. |
| Season | English Domestic Season |
| Grounds | The Main Oval, Hampshire Rose Bowl, Southampton |