TOM Morton, who has led South Wilts’ monopoly of ECB Southern Premier League cricket for the past four seasons, is leaving the Salisbury club to become Director of Cricket at the top Middlesex League side Ealing.

He takes up his position in early March, having guided South Wilts to unprecedented success, writes Mike Vimpany.

He has led from the front, scoring almost 6,000 Premier League runs in his ten seasons with the Bemerton club, who have pulled off an amazing SPL championship and twenty20 Cup double in the past three years.

“It’s been an immensely difficult decision to come to terms with,” he said.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my ten seasons at South Wilts. It’s a fantastic club and I’ve got some great mates there, I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved.

“To be the only team to win four Premier League titles on the trot is something very special. “Having done the double the last three years just makes it even better.

“All with much the same side throughout, a real nucleus of guys who have stuck together and worked hard – on and off the field - to achieve this success.”

A fitness fantastic – he’s a Tough Mudder and triathlon enthusiast – Morton ensured South Wilts trained hard both before and during the season, and were fit and raring to go each week.

Morton hit 21 centuries in his time at Bemerton, including a double-hundred in the ECB club championship at Warminster two seasons ago.

Ealing have long been recognised as one of the country’s leading recreational clubs but apart from winning the ECB’s NatWest t20 Club title last September, silverware has eluded them in recent seasons.

They’ve not won the Middlesex Premier League title in four years and have never lifted the coveted ECB national club championship crown, despite being finalists on a number of occasions.

“That’s one of the challenges I’m relishing,” said Morton, whose motivational drive both on and off the field has been one of the leading factors behind South Wilts’ success.

Morton will shortly be leaving his post as Senior Sports Development Officer at Southampton Solent University to pursue his career move.

He manages over 30 Team Solent clubs and student individual sports programmes at Solent, who have made a sustained impact among the leading lights of the MCCU British University cricket championships, ie Bradford/Leeds, Durham and Loughborough, during his time there.

“I will be involved with all aspects of cricket at Ealing,” he explained.

“It’s a huge club – seven adult teams each Saturday and countless junior sides.

“Given the size and varied cricketing demands at the club I’m expecting it to be a challenging position, one which I’m very much looking forward to and getting stuck into.

“Ealing have a beautiful ground in West London, which seems to have a culture and atmosphere which is exactly what I look for in a club, I’m hoping I will be able to compliment what is an already successful organisation.”

South Wilts, who open their defence of the Southern Premier League title against Ventnor at Newclose on Saturday, May 7, have yet to decide who will succeed Morton as captain.