Hampshire: Kasprowicz can provide cutting edge (31 Mar 1998)

31 March 1998

Hampshire: Kasprowicz can provide cutting edge

By Geoffrey Dean

HAMPSHIRE'S championship record over the past five years could hardly have been more consistently mediocre - twice 14th and three times 13th. In the Sunday league they have been 15th for the past two seasons.

With the signing of Michael Kasprowicz, the county can look forward to an improvement, for they at last have what they most needed - an overseas player who can bowl sides out.

Matthew Hayden's runs (1,446 in first-class games at 53) will certainly be missed, but the rest of the top order ought to be able to make up for his loss by improving on last year when no one, apart from the Australian, reached 1,000 runs.

Freeing John Stephenson from the burden of captaincy will allow him to concentrate more on his batting. Only Shaun Udal bowled more overs than him last summer but with Kasprowicz's arrival Stephenson's workload should be reduced. The plan is for him to return to the top three in the order, possibly as an opener.

Tony Baker, the chief executive, admits that the other batsmen underperformed. "Given our very good batting wickets at home, they ought to have scored more." The club have recruited Desmond Haynes, the former West Indies opener, as a part-time batting coach and will be looking to Robin Smith, in his first year as captain, to boost his 1997 total of 918 first-class runs at 41.

Several young batsmen are overdue a big year, Jason Laney's 848 runs at 32 last summer hardly did him justice as a stroke-playing opener of considerable ability; Will Kendall has yet to fulfil his promise; Matthew Keech is another with real talent and Giles White will seek to continue his fine end-of-season form after starting the summer poorly. The last two averaged over 40 but played only 10 games each. Pushing them for places will be the Morris brothers, Alex and Zac, both signed from Yorkshire.

Hampshire were severely hamstrung by injuries last summer. Cardigan Connor broke down after taking seven for 46 against Essex in the first innings of the first game of last season and made only four more appearances. "Kevan James took eight for 49 at Basingstoke against Somerset in June and couldn't bowl again," said Baker. "And both Smith and Keech were injured for some time."

Baker promises that home pitches will be more bowler-friendly after acquiring a reputation for being the flattest in the country. That will suit a seam department strengthened not just by Kasprowicz but also by the signing of the highly experienced Peter Hartley from Yorkshire. Last season they gained the fewest bowling points of all 18 counties, and by some way.

Baker's aim to finish in the top eight of the championship and in the top nine of the Sunday league might just be attainable if Kasprowicz is successful. "We've been stationary for three years now, and need to move on."

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)