Portsmouth CC chairman delighted with ‘brilliant’ Southern Premier League Cup fixture list

The two clubs are due to meet at St Helens on Southsea seafront on August 15 in the SPL Premier/Division 1 combined cup competition.

They last met in a SPL match in 2007, after which Portsmouth were relegated two divisions for disciplinary reasons.

Their last meeting was in a Royal London National Club Championship tie in May 2014, which Havant won.

The SPL have organised the 37 teams who have entered into four groups - two in the east of their area and two in the west.

Three teams are not taking part - two from Hook & Newnham and the only Isle of Wight-based club, Ventnor.

It would have cost the latter club around £45 each per car to travel to the mainland, so they are taking part in a different event alongside other IoW teams.

The League Cups start next weekend, on July 18, and run through to September 12 - two weeks later than a normal SPL season would finish.

The week after, September 19, the two winners of the Premier/Division 1 groups will meet in a final and the two Division 2/3 winners will do likewise.

There are no plans for those two winners to play in a grand final.

‘It’s been a long road to get here,’ said SPL chairman Steve Vear. ‘And there were a few twists and turns which we didn’t expect.

‘Our priority first and foremost has always been to facilitate some kind of meaningful cricket.

‘The fact all but three teams have entered shows the appetite there is to play.

‘We gave Hook a few chances to enter, but they want to play some inter-club games instead. That is fine - it wasn’t mandatory to enter.

‘Ventnor are going to be playing in an Island competition, which in the circumstances is a good thing for them and probably the best thing to do.’

Hook’s director of cricket Vince Gardner said most of his club’s players chose to play inter-club games rather than take part in the League Cup.

‘Our thinking followed a detailed player survey,’ he said. ‘After all, it’s all about the players and their feelings must come first.’

Hook’s own event will be called the The Lovelock Poulter Trophy ‘as we felt it gave us best use of facilities, maximised player time, minimised travel and negated the C-19 risk by allowing us to control our own facility and distancing.

‘And most importantly in such a tricky time, it allowed us to have fun amongst friends and put a few pounds over our own bar!’

Hook’s survey offered players the SPL Cup option, no matches at all, or the inter-club tournament - and 85 per cent chose the latter.

The inter-club trophy is named after Hook chairman Keith Lovelock and the club’s former Hampshire Seniors player Kevin Poulter, who died two years ago.

Because three teams didn’t enter, three of the four League Cup groups are running with nine teams.

That inevitably means one team from each of those groups will be left inactive on one weekend.

Havant sit out the opening round of Premier/Division 1 East games next weekend, while the top game locally is Portsmouth’s home game with Burridge - one of five (out of eight) games they will be playing at St Helens.

The last time those two 1st XIs met in the league was back in 2011 in a SPL Division 2 encounter that Burridge won by one run.

Overseas players obviously won’t be taking part in the League Cups, with the exception of Burridge’s Hampshire-based South African Hilio de Abreu.

Portsmouth chairman Rick Marston is delighted with his side’s fixture list.

The Division 1 club have a host of games against top flight opponents like Havant, Burridge, the Hampshire Academy, Sarisbury and Alton.

‘I’ve spoken to some of the players and everyone is excited,’ he said.

‘It will be a great chance to test ourselves and see how good we are.

‘We are going to have to play very well in order to compete.

‘I would like to have played the Academy away at The Ageas Bowl, but they only have one home game which is why our fixtures are slightly lopsided with five at home.

‘But just to play the Academy at our place will be brilliant.’

League Cup groups

Premier/Division 1 East: Alton, Basingstoke & North Hants, Burridge, Hampshire Academy, Havant, Portsmouth, Rowledge, Sarisbury, St Cross 2nds.

Premier/Division 1 West: Andover, Bashley, Bournemouth, Calmore, Lymington, New Milton, South Wilts, Sparsholt, St Cross, Totton & Eling.

Division 2 / 3 East: Basingstoke 2nds, Hambledon, Hartley Wintney, Gosport Borough, Liphook & Ripsley, Portsmouth & Southsea, Purbrook, Tichborne Park, Waterlooville.

Division 2 / 3 West: Bashley 2nds, Fawley, Fair Oak, Hythe & Dibden, Langley Manor, OTs & Romsey, Paultons, South Wilts 2nds, Trojans.

Portsmouth fixtures

July 18 Burridge (H), July 25 Hampshire Academy (H), Aug 1 no game, Aug 8 Alton (A), Aug 15 Havant (H), Aug 22 Rowledge (H), Aug 29 Sarisbury (A), Sept 5 St Cross 2nds (H), Sept 12 Basingstoke & North Hants (A)

Havant fixtures

July 18 no game, July 25 St Cross 2nds (H), Aug 1 Alton (A), Aug 8 Basingstoke & NH (H), Aug 15 Portsmouth (A), Aug 22 Burridge (H), Aug 29 Rowledge (A), Sept 5 Academy (H), Sept 12 Sarisbury (A).

Burridge fixtures

July 18 Portsmouth (A), July 25 Rowledge (H), Aug 1 Sarisbury (A), Aug 8 St Cross 2nds (H), Aug 15 Basingstoke (A), Aug 22 Havant (A), Aug 29 Academy (H), Sept 5 no game, Sept 12 Alton (H)