The overseas players likely to be denied a Southern Premier Cricket League debut in 2020

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ECB have suspended all cricket in the country until July 1 at the earliest.

Even when lockdown is eased, there is no guarantee that any grassroots cricket will take place this summer - either at adult or junior level.

But even if the government allow some matches to take place, it is doubtful whether any foreign imports will play.

The Hampshire League have already said that even if games start on Saturday July 4 - the earliest date at present - there will be no promotion and relegation.

The same applies in the Southern Premier League, so clubs are unlikely to spend money on flights and subsidiary expenses for games that would be glorified friendlies at best.

The News reported last weekend that Havant were aiming to bring over seam bowler Bash Waters for the 2020 SPL season.

The 33-year-old would certainly have brought some experience – he has played 121 first class matches in his native South Africa.

When the CSA (Cricket South Africa) Provincial 3-Day Cup competition was halted last month, Walters had taken 38 wickets to help Eastern Province to the top of their group. Only one other bowler had taken more.

The Provincial Cup is the second tier of first class cricket in South Africa, and Walters has also played for Warriors and Titans in the highest tier – the Four-Day Franchise Series.

Indeed, only last year he was a team-mate of Essex skipper Simon Harmer and Colin Ackermann, the top order batsman who is due to captain Leicestershire in all three formats should any cricket be played this year.

Walters had been playing for Eastern Province this year alongside medium-pacer Siviwe Gidana, who was Havant’s overseas player in 2019.

Sarisbury’s overseas player in 2020 was 19-year-old pace bowler John Turner, a student at the Hilton College in Pietermaritzburg where former Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein is head coach.

Turner helped Dolphins win the CSA U19 franchise tournament at the beginning of last year, and is due to start at Durham University this autumn reading Economics.

At Burridge, all-rounder Hilio De Abreu is now permanently based in England. He has been a huge success in his two previous years at the club - finishing as the league’s leading runscorer in 2019 with 678. He was also the sixth highest wicket-taker with 30.

In his debut season, 2018, he had finished as Burridge’s top runscorer with 582 and second leading wicket-taker with 20 as they came runners-up to St Cross.

At Portsmouth, Michael Booth was due to replace Australian all-rounder Fraser Hay as the club’s overseas player in the second tier of the SPL.

He had big boots to fill - Hay scored 2,212 runs at 45.14 in his four seasons at Portsmouth, and also took 111 wickets, including 41 last year.

But 19-year-old Booth is one to watch. The all-rounder - a colleague of Turner’s at Hilton College - was once voted the under-17 South African Cricketer of the Year award.

Like Turner, he began 2019 by helping Dolphins win the CSA U19 franchise tournament. Unlike Turner, he ended it in the KwaZulu-Natal side that won the CSA Provincial T20 Cup. In the semi-final of the latter tournament, Booth’s side had beaten an Eastern Province XI featuring Bash Walters.

Booth also played one game for Surrey 2nds last year, against Hampshire 2nds at New Malden. Opening the bowling, he took 1-49 - capturing the wicket of Aneurin Donald - as Hampshire rattled up 389-6 declared, helped by tons from Felix Organ (111) and Brad Taylor (101).

Booth returned 0-35 in the second innings as Hampshire declared again on 217-5 en route to winning by 240 runs.

Like Turner, Booth is also planning to start at Durham University this year.

A third former Hilton College student, wicket-keeper/batsman Gareth Schreuder, was due to spend a second summer with Lymington in the SPL top flight this year.

In the third tier of the SPL, opening batsman Anthony Alleyne was due to spend a summer on the Isle of Wight at Ventnor.

The 26-year-old was a member of the West Indies team at the under-19 World Cup in 2012, and has played three first class games for Barbados.

He spent last year playing for Paignton in the Devon League, finishing as the division’s third-highest runscorer with 699 as his side were runners-up.

Alleyne signed off his 2019 season in the west country with three centuries in his last four matches - 121 against Exmouth, 111 against Exeter and 113 against Sidmouth.

Gosport had lined up a young New Zealand all-rounder for their return to Division 3 of the SPL.

Thomas Shuker, 22, was going to add some extra pace to the team’s bowling attack as well as hopefully provide some middle to late order runs.

Fareham were preparing to welcome back Reece Abrams for the Hampshire Cricket League Division 1 campaign.

The 20-year-old batsman from Bayswater-Morley in Western Australia first played for the club in 2017, scoring 310 runs in nine innings with a highest score of 88.

Two local clubs were preparing to welcome young New Zealand cricketers from the Christchurch area - Curtis Millard was coming to play for Hambledon and Regan Cantwell for Waterlooville.