Weston Saint

You get there for 2hours 30mins before kick off. You will be shown to your table which has red and white wine and bottled beer. You can order draught beer, lager or soft drinks from the waitresses as part of the package but if you want spirits you have to pay. You help yourself to the buffet (although staff available to serve you ate the food station). Good selection of starters (you can have a bit of each) Decent main with meat or fish choice with good selection of vegetables and potato. At least 2 dessert selection and coffee/tea Just before you go out for the first half waitress will ask what drink you wish at half time. Seating is in the corporate area of the Itchen. Comfortable seats and good view. During half time you will be asked what drink you wish for after match. You leave by 6pm Ex Saints have been given 5 complimentary for the Presidential Suite of which 2 are the business organisers for Ex Saints plus 3 ex players who are interviewed before the game and open for you to speak to them. Tell the girls when you check in that your Dad is celebrating his birthday and they will announce it for you in the suite before the game. There are televisions showing whatever game sky or bt are showing that early afternoon. Complimentary programme and team sheet also available. I went there 6 times last season as a guest of a friend and I am sure you both will enjoy. My brother was happy too as I let him use my season ticket for free on those occasions

Good news from the youngsters. Weatherley (opening batsman) scored his second century of the week 102 not out at lunch for the seconds against Glamorgan. He also took 3-20 of 16 overs yesterday. Terry also featured (other opener) in the runs with 97 For England under 19 warm up today against Unicorns including Graham Onions opening the bowling Alsop (opening for England) is 68 not out at Lunch but Onions got him soon after Weatherley, Taylor and Crane will be joining England under 19 for a one off unofficial test against Australia Under 19's next week

I keep hearing on hear about our lack of developing young players Dawson, Vince, Briggs, Woods and Bates all played for England Under 19's and all have developed and gained much 1st team experience. Dawson is very much a regular (save this recent blip that the club seem to have accepted as an error). Vince is having a poor season but no doubting his class. He even captained the Lions in the winter! Briggs has played for England in IOD and T20. He is a regular in the first team and our recognized no 1 spinner. Woods was coming along nicely but got a knee injury and degenerative osteoarthritis has set in. Hardly the clubs fault. Bates recognized as one of the best glovemen in the country but despite many hours trying to coach his batting he just does not have it. Somerset have taken him on trial and he has played 10 county championship innings for them. Highest score of 16. Nowadays your wicket keeper has to score runs We have a few youngsters now. McManus (Wicket Keeper) who has just saved the game for Hampshire with a batting 53no. He was Englan Under 19 last year. Crane who has taken 5 wickets on his debut. Weatherill (opener) picked as captain of England Under 19's next week along with Taylor and Crane. These are young talented players. Add to that Alsop (batsman who can also keep wicket) as an under 19 England last year. Then we have Sean Terry who has done a decent job when he came in. Brad Wheal who has been given his chance this year (it was not intended he play as much 1st team as he did) Barber was our bowling hope but he does not look like being ready yet.

I have been quite defensive towards our club but something is definitely not right. Who was it who decided to ask Carberry to step down to No 3 (yes despite rumours that Carberry asked but did not - but he did say he would do it for the youngsters when asked) and then in this game restored him to opener. Who told Dawson he would not feature as his batting was not up to it forgetting his excellent bowling support and slip fielding but then within his first month recalled him from his excellent stay in Essex rediscovering his love for cricket)! Who persuaded Adams to step down as captain to concentrate on his form and then handed it to someone whose form was worse and needed to concentrate on his batting. Who asked for a spinners wicket to be produced because he feared Durham's seam and then dropped our number one spinner. Crane has had a good debut but that is not the point! Spoke to Durham people yesterday and they say he was an excellent man manager. So he may be but his decision making looks very suspect.

Jimmy Adams steps down as captain to concentrate of batting. As it is also he benefit year, he has a young family and his dad is not well and it is a sensible approach. James Vince to take over captaincy. Interesting one with Dawson being recalled wadesmith. I was told Terry would start against Durham but that must now be in doubt! I will try to speak to Dawson's Mum tomorrow to try to get the inside story. Squad v @DurhamCricket: Dawson, Adams, Carberry, Vince ©, Smith, Gatting, Terry, Wheater, McManus, Bird, Berg, Briggs, Crane, Tomlinson. Adams decision- it's so he can find form with the bat and looks as though he will return to role if that happens. (Radio Solent)

It was Lowe's decision. He thought he had an agreement with Barclays Bank to fund the deal but after it was done we all know what Barclays did. They denied they had agreed and pulled the plug on our finances by insisting a large chunk of our overdraft was paid off. There was no Arsenal connection whatsoever. This information came to me from a Director of the time and who is still a good friend.

He was rested. He was there and in the dug out. He ran onto the pitch with drinks etc as 12th man

Was a good win and the players were buzzing after. Spoke to Woody before the game. He played in the 2nds 3 day win against Sussex but has a slight side strain of not risked. that Gave Crane his chance. Raj Maru was singing his praises to me a few years ago and he does look good. However, Briggs is our main spinner and we will not often go into a 4 day game with 2 front line spinners. Even Udal struggled to get games when Warne played. Sean Terry will continue to open in the next championship game against Durham on Sunday week.

Not sure why you have to be so sarcastic. I have only pointed out facts. I am lucky enough to have access to the Coaches, Players, Players families, (mostly Mums and Dads), Directors, Umpires and Media. I am careful what I post and only release what I know is not sensitive. Maybe I am leaning towards the club but hey, I support Hampshire CCC.

Tom Alsop (opening) scored 195 for the seconds against Sussex seconds at Ageas Bowl yesterday. His opening partner Joe Weatherley scored 118 I thought most of our top 5 were just out of form but the longer the season goes the more I feel we have just not adapted to the better bowling in the 1st Division. there is a big difference. Although depressing, we should not panic and throw the youngsters in. They need time to develop. If we go down this season, and it looks increasingly likely, it will give us time to develop the younger players. Is it the coaching staff? They seem to be working hard with a lot going on behind the scenes. Maybe they lack experience but if they learn from this year it will set us up well for the future.

If it is true that AM missed the deadline then what did we do before the deadline....Did we indicate in writing that we wanted to exercise our option? Seems to me to be smokescreen put up by Saints to counter Spurs leaks. We will have to wait and see!

Might all be in the contract wording. We know Saints can purchase for a fixed fee and we also know AM can decide to keep him by waiving the loan fee of £1.5m. Argument might be that if AM call him back and then sell him they are breaching the contract. Not any easy one to let the courts decide.

All getting a bit tasty. Sky sources saying that Saints think they have a contract with AM to purchase Toby and that if they sell to Spurs or anyone else Saints will take legal action.

BBC Solent Sport ‏@solentsport 2 hrs2 hours ago Result of @hantscricket appeal - ECB decide that a further TWO disciplinary breaches will trigger original points penalty

Ervine out for 6 weeks after having a pin inserted in his broken finger. Big blow in my opinion

liam dawson ‏@daws128 To clarify I'm going on loan as I want to play first team cricket, Thanks to Hampshire for agreeing to it.

So now we are to loan out Dawson as they cannot find a place for him in the first team for either Championship or 1 day Cricket despite all the investment put into the Academy and Colts. Decent spinner with 94 wickets at 36.70 but Briggs is the team spinner. One of the best 2nd slip catches in England, a decent batsman with 4600 runs to his name at 32.62. Yet we have Gatting in the side who is an import and a year older, has an average of 27.49 and has a big weakness outside of off stump, only two wickets and not a slip fielder of any note! Feel very sorry for Liam but whispers have been about for a few weeks now. I suspect he has been the one pushing the issue of late At least he should get first team cricket and hopefully prove to our club that he is an asset and Hampshire through and through. Likewise it should mean Sean Terry should have a run in the side to see if he can emulate his dad as a Hampshire opener.

I will just comment on your dig at the coaches over Wood's decline. I did post it a few weeks ago And they do have a batting coach. Tony Middleton

Except I am a moderate conservative and always have been. Cannot stand the UKIP or what it stands for. I was merely making a comment on what I thought would happen but many of you say that is not so. Fair enough!

Let us not forget that if they default and leave the EU then all the Greeks in Europe no longer have the freedom of movement at will be classed as jolly foreigners. Same with us. If we leave after the referendum next year all those living in Spain and Portugal on the same freedom of movement will have to come home to a cold Britain again. No wonder they want a vote!!

Another very poor day apart from Gatting. Our batting has lost all confidence at present! Our bowling is weak. We have made a big mistake with Bird. He is not good enough to fit the overseas position so far and he has had enough time. No balls and at least one 4 per over is just not good enough. Wheal is a rooky playing his first year of 4 day cricket. Tomlinson is either injured or rested. Either way he has not been up to standard this season. Edwards is not back until end of July. By then it might be too late! As for up and coming Tom Alsop 19 - Left Hand Bat who is also a Wicket Keeper - England Under 19 Lewis McManus 20 - Wicket Keeper who is also a decent bat - England Under 19 Brad Taylor 18 - Right Arm Offbreak - England Under 19 Tom Barber 19 - Left Arm Fast Medium - England under 19 All are part of the First Team Squad but not ready yet.

Cannot understand why Dawson is not playing! He was in the squad for Fridays T20 which was strange as he was playing for the seconds in a 50 over against Essex at Ageas owl which we won. Then he was in the squad for today and is on the scorecard produced! I am not at Lords but have sent a text to get a friend of mine to see if he can find out the reason. Dawson did react to his poor LBW decision last week. I wonder if the two are linked!

Many have said it before and I am not going to apologise for saying it again, we are not a big club. Manchester Utd, City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Spurs are the big 6. They are constantly in that group that others like us strive to break but we have not yet! We have a rich owner but she is astute and wants the club to be self financing. I agree and it is so much more satisfying to see we are genuine challengers with that philosophy We do not have the income streams to be able to pay the top players the money they desire. The top 6 do. We have to prove ourselves over a longer period of time to persuade players who want regular European football that we can constantly deliver. This coming season will be the start of that process but the players who are moving on are impatient to have that reassurance. The top 6 sides, through their track record and money, can give that now. We are replenishing with good players (excluding our Academy for the purposes of this discussion) so other team supporters may look at us with anger or envy just as we are doing with the top 6. We have not yet arrived but the top 6 know we are breathing down their necks and our reputation is building. We need to have a similar season in 2015/16 to keep the pressure on the other 6 and do well in the Europa Cup to enhance our reputation further afield. In the meantime we will have to accept we will lose our best and ambitious players each year.

You had to be there to understand what was happening. Yes we were outplayed by an accurate bowling team. No doubt about that but some of the balls our players got out to were near unplayable and Dawson second innings was a definite bat pad not lbw. We all heard two noises and Dawson's reaction said it all. Hope we do not have a further disciplinary issue!! It was not until the afternoon that the wicket settled. We had far the worse conditions when batting. It seamed, spat and kept low. Somerset bowlers knew how to use it best with line and length. Team is together but not firing. Tomo has bowled worse than I have seen him for a while. He did injure his toe on the first day but this is not the first bad match for him. Ervine has broken a finger. Bird does not look worth his overseas status. He must be the only Australian bowler who cannot bat! On a brighter note the club are aware Edwards wants a permanent deal and are in talks. He is very happy here which answers anyone who asks what the dressing room is like.