Hampshire encounter familiar foes

By Dave Bracegirdle

Hampshire will renew rivalry with some familiar faces when they embark on their pre-season tour of Barbados this week.

An advance party set off for the island today with the bulk of the squad joining on Sunday.

Winners of the Friends Life t20 and the Clydesdale Bank 40-over competitions last summer, Hampshire can claim to be England's best white-ball side but that title will come under threat in the next few days.

County champions Warwickshire, who were defeated by the Royals in last September’s 40 overs showpiece at Lord’s, will face Hampshire in a two-day friendly at Windward CC on March 13-14.

Then, in a re-run of last summer’s t20 Final, Hampshire have been drawn against Yorkshire at the Kensington Oval in the opening match in this year’s Barbados T20 Cup on March 16.

Depending on the outcome, a place in the semi-finals of either the Cup competition or the Plate will take place the following day.
The final match of the tour will be against a Barbados XI at Carlton CC on March 20-21.

Adam Wheater, who has recently moved to the county from Essex, is named in a 15-strong party which also includes Danny Briggs, happily recovered from the ankle injury which forced him to miss the England Lions recent tour of Australia.

Date: 07/03/2013 10:38:54 by Dave Bracegirdle
In: Today | Hampshire | England |