DOUBLE winning South Wilts have a home start as they open their ECB Southern Electric Premier League championship defence against Ventnor at Bemerton on May 3.

It’s the first of five 50-over pennant matches South Wilts play before they get stuck into their favoured time game format at Totton & Eling in early June, writes Mike Vimpany.

South Wilts have won the Time Pennant five times in the last six years.

Alton, so often South Wilts’ bogey opponents in the past, host Tom Morton’s side in round two.

Then follows three potentially tough 50-over games against the Hampshire Academy, Bashley (Rydal) and St Cross Symondians.

The season ends with a home match against Havant – when new skipper Morton will hope to crack open the champagne for a third successive season.

Tom Pearce’s second team, which finished a creditable third in Division 3 last season, face a trip to recently relegated Tichborne Park in their opening league game.

Unlike South Wilts’ seniors, who play a split format of 50-over and allday Time games, Pearce’s side play traditional limited-over games.

South Wilts are among the five second teams in SPL3, which has Alton II and Waterlooville as new arrivals.

South Wilts’ 2014 fixtures (*denotes Time games): May3 Ventnor (h) 2nd XI : Tichborne Park (a) May 10 Alton (a) 2nd XI: Alton II (h) May 17 Hampshire Academy (a), 2nd XI: Fair Oak (h) May 24 Bashley (Rydal) (h) 2nd XI: St Cross Symondians II (a) May 31 St Cross Symondians (a) 2nd XI: Portsmouth & Southsea (h) June7 *Totton & Eling (h) 2nd XI: Trojans (a) June 14 * Lymington (a) 2nd XI: Bashley (Rydal) II (h) June 21 * Burridge (h) 2nd XI: Basingstoke & North Hants II (a) June 28 * Havant (a) 2nd XI: Waterlooville (h) July5 *Ventnor (a) 2nd XI: Tichborne Park (h) July 12 * Alton (h) 2nd XI: Alton II (h) July 19 * Hampshire Academy (h) 2nd XI: Fair Oak (a) July 26 * Bashley (Rydal) (a) 2nd XI: St Cross Symondians II (h) August2 *St Cross Symondians (h) 2nd XI: Portsmouth & Southsea (a) August9 Totton & Eling (a) 2nd XI: Trojans (h) August 16 Lymington (h) 2nd XI: Bashley (Rydal) II (a) August 23 Burridge (a) 2nd XI: Basingstoke & North Hants II (h) August 30 Havant (h) 2nd XI: Waterlooville (a)