‘We have lots of match-winners’ – Hambledon CC confident they can cope at a higher level after 2021 Southern Premier League Division 3 title romp

That’s the verdict of skipper Spencer Le Clercq ahead of the opening game of the Division 2 campaign against Fair Oak this weekend.

Hambledon romped to the Division 3 title last year, winning 10 of their 11 completed fixtures and ending with a points average of 20.36 per game - better than anyone else across the four SPL tiers.

Henry Glanfield (564 runs at 56.40) ended as the third highest runscorer in the division, while Dan McGovern, in his first season at the club, was seventh highest (449 at 40.82).

Chris Pratt - who will continue to drive down from Loughborough University every weekend to play - was 11th with 299 at 29.90.

George Marshall can be added to that list, and he is fresh from scores of 80 (v Bishop’s Waltham), 57 (v Calmore) and 46 (v Sarisbury) in pre-season friendlies. McGovern hit 105 against Sarisbury - sharing a 126-run opening stand with Marshall - while Glanfield struck 76.

In addition, Hambledon’s overseas player for 2022 is South African batter Matt de Villiers, who scored 627 runs at 41.80 for Cape Town outfit Claremont in the winter.

The 21-year-old - who can also bowl off-spin - is no stranger to English conditions, having scored 544 runs at 28.63 for Oakmere in the Cheshire League three years ago.

‘I think we will be more than good enough to compete,’ said Le Clercq. ‘Our batting will be a strong point. We have some quality in our top six.

‘It’s going to be a hard season but we’re high on confidence after walking the league last year.

‘We’ve got lots of match-winners.’

Hambledon have also got lots of young talent, with Le Clercq reckoning the average age of last year’s champions as around the 21 mark.

Two of the youngsters - Jonty Oliver and James Restall - will miss the first few fixtures, while Glanfield is also unavailable for the curtain-raiser.