Phillips answers county call

10:39am Saturday 19th July 2008

THE Wiltshire county team, with two wins and a defeat from their first three fixtures in the Daily Telegraph Channel League, play their fourth match against Somerset at Weston-super-Mare tomorrow, writes Ernie Newell.

Skipper Alistair James has made four changes from the side which went down to Gloucestershire at The Wiltshire last month.

He brings in Broome Manor captain Kevin Phillips, England under 21 squad player Sam Matton (Bowood), Peter Hayball (Hamptworth) and Cumberwell Park new boy Chris Brown for Jason Beint (Broome Manor), David Bauer (Marlborough) and the West Wilts pair of Mike White and Andy Rideout.

Brown, a young Australian, has joined the Cumberwell club at Bradford-on-Avon for the season and plays off scratch.

The other six members of the team are Sam Elkins (South Wilts), Jack Hiscock (Marlborough), Charlie James (Cumberwell Park), Ben Loughrey (Wrag Barn), Matt Swales (Cumberwell Park) and skipper Ali James (Cumberwell Park) himself.

Wiltshire, champions in 2000 and wooden spoonists last year, got their league campaign off to a great start with comfortable victories over Glamorgan and Cornwall, but crashed 10-5 to Gloucestershire.

And skipper Ali James is hoping the county will get back on the winning track at Weston.

James, an Exeter University graduate and, at 25, Wiltshire's youngest-ever captain, is having a hugely successful first season at the helm, having led the county to both the South Western Counties Stroke-and Match-play Championship titles at last month's County Week at Westward Ho!

Remember When...