ANDOVER start their Southern Premier League Division One campaign this weekend off the back of a very promising pre-season.

The club received great news in early April when Nord-Lock signed on the dotted line, generously agreeing to sponsor the club again this summer.

The town side have played two inter-club games due to the large availability of players, and the unseasonal sunshine.

They then followed this up with a resounding 100 run win over Thames Valley Division One side Thatcham.

Highlights from the pre-season centre around key performances from Nathan Birks, Glyn Treagus and Matt Knight with the bat, and Babu Veetil, Mike Adams and Matt Hooper with the ball.

Teenager Birks has racked up over 150 runs in three games and is yet to be dismissed.

The evergreen Treagus, entering his 32nd summer as a first XI cricketer, has now scored two glorious half centuries back-to-back and is prime for another vintage season.

With Hampshire star, Lewis McManus, to come into the top order alongside Ali Hooper, Charlie Ayers, Will Arnold plus Treagus, Birks and Knight, Andover have a strong and experienced top six.

With a four-pronged experienced seam attack, including Adams, Veetill, Richard Taylor and Aiden Jansen.

Add to this the spin twins Hooper and Charlie Ayers, Andover have the variety to take 10 wickets a game and cause any batting side some headaches.

Andover, who finished fifth in the Division One table start their campaign at home to Isle of Wight side Ventnor, who finished two places above them last year. Last season there meeting was abandoned.

The action starts at 12:30pm at London Road and it was voted the best ground in the Southern Premier League in 2018.

Andover’s full fixtures list for the coming Southern Premier League Division One season is as follows

May 4 Ventnor (h)

May 11 Sparshott (a)

May 18 OT & Romsey (a)

May 25 Calmore (h)

Jun 1 Portsmouth (a)

Jun 8 Sarisbury (h)

Jun15 New Milton (a)

Jun 22 Hook (h)

Jun 29 Rowledge (a)

Jul 6 Ventnor (a)

Jul 13 Sparshott (h)

Jul 20 OT & Romsey (h)

Jul 27 Calmore (a)

Aug 3 Portsmouth (h)

Aug 10 Sarisbury (a)

Aug 17 New Milton (h)

Aug 24 Hook (a)

Aug 31 Rowledge (h)