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Great expectations but a little thin on spin

After exceeding all expectations last year, Hampshire have good reason to be optimistic about the forthcoming summer unless, perhaps, it is a hot, dry one. Robin Smith's side climbed from 14th in the County Championship in 1997 to a highly creditable sixth, and a similarly big leap up the AXA League earned them an unexpected place in Division One of the National League this season.

The staff has been pruned with six players released and only two, both inexperienced, taken on. With Raj Maru retiring to become community development coach and young off-spinner Richard Dibden another of the departures, the spin department at Northlands Road looks dangerously thin.

Shaun Udal, happily fit again after breaking an ankle, is one of only two spinners at the club (rookie left-armer Zac Morris is the other).

The seam department, however, looks quite strong. Nixon McLean, overlooked by the West Indies for the World Cup, is available for the whole season and was rated as the quickest bowler on the circuit by most umpires last year.

Along with old-stager Peter Hartley, a plethora of decent seam-bowling all-rounders can be guaranteed to give solid support to McLean. Alex Morris was a revelation last year, finishing with 47 championship wickets at 20 apiece, and the promising Dimitri Mascarenhas (30 at 31) nipped in at third in the bowling averages ahead of the two veterans, Kevan James and John Stephenson, who shared 53 victims between them.

Several young batsmen have been given what may be a last chance to come good. Will Kendall ended the season positively, but will need more consistency this year. Jason Laney's annus horribilis - he finished bottom of the averages with only 123 runs at 10 - will need to be put well behind him. Matthew Keech, equally talented but not much more productive last summer, is also approaching a crossroads.

Team Details & First-Class fixtures

Staff: A N Aymes, S R G Francis, M Garaway, J R C Hamblin, H M Hansen, P J Hartley, K D James, M Keech, W S Kendall, D A Kenway, J S Laney, S Lugsden, A D Mascarenhas, A C Morris, Z C Morris, N A McLean, S J Renshaw, L Savident, R A Smith (capt), J P Stephenson, S D Udal, G W White.

New players: S Lugsden (from Durham), J R C Hamblin.

Released: C A Connor, R R Dibden, H J H Loudon, N Makin, R J Maru, P R Whitaker.

Beneficiary: K D James.

1998 Record

Championship: 6th (W6, L5, D6)
Axa League: 8th (W8, L8, NR1)
NatWest Trophy: Semi-finalists
B & H Cup: Eliminated at group stage

First-class fixtures

April:
Wed 14 Oxford University (The Parks). Wed 21 Kent (Southampton). Wed 28 Durham (Riverside).

May:
Fri 14 Worcestershire (Southampton). Wed 19 Middlesex (Lord's). Thurs 27 Nottinghamshire (Trent Bridge).

June:
Wed 2 Essex (Ilford). Wed 9 Yorkshire (Basingstoke). Tues 15 Leicestershire (Southampton). Wed 30 Glamorgan (Swansea).

July:
Fri 9 New Zealand provisional (Southampton). Wed 14 Surrey (Guildford). Wed 21 Lancashire (Portsmouth).

Aug:
Thurs 5 Gloucestershire (Bristol). Tues 17 Warwickshire (Southampton). Tues 24 Sussex (Portsmouth).

Sept:
Wed 1 Northamptonshire (Northampton). Wed 8 Somerset (Southampton). Wed 15 Derbyshire (Derby).