00:01Liam, a week before the start of the season against Essex, always an exciting time of the year.
00:06Looking forward to it all now?
00:08Yeah, without a doubt. The season has come around quick.
00:11First game against Essex is notoriously a very good side, so it's going to be a tough game.
00:15And for yourself, obviously, this time last year you were saying,
00:19I know you'll be focused very much on Hampshire at the moment and starting the season well,
00:23but it's been a very good year for you personally.
00:25With the England stuff, last year you thought you might not get that chance,
00:28but you've obviously come back and playing every game in the World Cup.
00:32It must have been a great year for you personally, really, isn't it?
00:35Yeah, obviously delighted to be back in with England.
00:38Really enjoyed the winter, obviously.
00:40Disappointing that we didn't get to the main goal to win the World Cup.
00:43But yeah, from a personal point of view, obviously very proud with how it went.
00:47And for yourself, presumably, start the season.
00:49It's always the time, presumably, it's very much focusing on starting well,
00:52both for you personally and obviously for the team as well, getting that good start.
00:55Yeah, without doubt.
00:56We know we need to improve massively on last year.
00:59Obviously, last year was way below the standards we expect at this club.
01:03So yeah, this year's obviously a new season, a few new signings,
01:06and hopefully we can start well.
01:08Yeah, obviously, last season, you said you had been sort of pushing for the title for a few years, hadn't
01:11you?
01:12And then last season, not quite so much.
01:13So this year, presumably, the target is obviously getting sales a bit higher and a bit stronger again.
01:17Yeah, without doubt.
01:19So it's obviously playing more consistent cricket, to understand periods in games where we're on top
01:23and to sort of really nail those situations.
01:26Whereas last year, we sort of let a lot of teams back in from good positions.
01:29So that's something this year that we're going to have to improve on and hopefully we can do that.
01:33New coach in Russell Domingo. How's he sort of settled in with the group?
01:36Yeah, Russ is brilliant. I've spent a couple of years with him at the Sunrisers when I played the SA20.
01:41So yeah, he's a good man, good coach, knows the game very well,
01:44a lot of experience at international level as well. So really looking forward to it to work with him.
01:48And new additions to the squad as well? All sort of fitted in well and excited to see how they
01:51go?
01:52Yeah, without doubt. Obviously, we haven't got Jake Lehman yet.
01:54I think he's playing in the Shield final. So he's a good addition for us.
01:58Yeah, everyone else we've got. Hopefully we can, as a group, stick together individually and as a team and have
02:04a good season.
02:05Obviously, character championship to start and sort of prioritising the formats as well.
02:09Obviously, T20 is obviously traditionally Hampshire strong in that, get to finals day quite a lot, won it a few
02:12times.
02:13So yeah, obviously, you'll target that when that comes around, I guess. But yeah, thoughts on the formats?
02:19Yeah, I think if we're honest, the club, I think T20 is probably our strongest suit at the minute with
02:23the squad of players we have and the signs we've got.
02:25So I think T20, I think we'll certainly be there or thereabouts.
02:28Obviously, the championship, we just want to improve on last year.
02:31You know, we don't want to be in a scrap again at the bottom of the table.
02:34So yeah, if we improve there, hopefully we'll be OK.
02:36Yeah. And obviously, you've got back in England white ball stuff.
02:41But for everyone in county cricket, it sounds like the messaging coming out this week, potentially, you know, obviously always
02:48currency and doing well will get you noticed.
02:50But it sounds like even more so there's potentially might be one or two spots and everyone must be have
02:54that in their mind almost, you know, you know, that's a potential target for them.
02:59Yeah, without doubt, obviously, you know, there's a couple of spots there in that England test team.
03:02I'm sure everyone will be wanting to try and score as many runs and take as many wickets as they
03:07can to sort of push their case.
03:08So yeah, I'll have to see what happens in a few weeks time.
03:10And Hampshire sort of playing here at the ground, we want to make sort of fortress at home, you know,
03:16and then obviously do well away.
03:17But yeah, how do you see that, you know, when you're playing here, taking 20 wickets, that sort of thing?
03:22Yeah, I think that's something that we also last year probably didn't help ourselves with our home conditions.
03:26We sort of we didn't help ourselves at all.
03:28So hopefully this year we can we can have better pitches that provide sort of more results and more cricket
03:33sort of, you know, we turn up here and we know what we're going to get.
03:35So I think that'll be a big chat in preseason going forward.
03:38So the pitches that we want to produce here at home and having a brand of cricket that will make
03:41us win games here.
03:42Yeah, and sort of a nice balanced bowling attack you feel to obviously, as I say, you'll obviously see what
03:47pitches you've got,
03:48but you feel you're obviously confident, you've got obviously plenty of quality there to get the wickets.
03:52Yeah, we do. I think we've got a lot of pace in our attack as well with the young lads
03:56coming through, which is a good sign.
03:57We've obviously got Kyle Abba, who's a proven performer now over many years.
04:00And obviously we've signed another overseas as well, who's obviously a good signing.
04:03So yeah, I think we're a year older than what we were last year.
04:06All the younger players are a year old and hopefully they've improved and it looks like they have and yeah,
04:10excited for the season.
04:12Yeah, sort of a young group. That's obviously exciting, isn't it?
04:15You know, in a younger group that potential growth is always going to be more and more, isn't it?
04:20Yeah, definitely. I mean, they had a lot of opportunities last year to play, so that's good for them.
04:23And then this year they're going to have an opportunity again to play and try and win games.
04:27So yeah, we've got some good young players and hopefully we can, as I said, stick together as a group
04:32and get some wins.
04:33And Kyle Abba, as you say, he's obviously a proven performer really, isn't it?
04:36You know what you're going to get from him, don't you? So yeah, quality there.
04:39Yeah, he's been brilliant for years. You know, he's fantastic.
04:42I think the way he stays fit at the age he's at, he plays every single game for us in
04:46the Champions League.
04:46So he's been brilliant over the years and, you know, he's, you know, watching him ball with his pre-season.
04:51He's back to his best. Well, he's at his best still. So yeah, hopefully he has another good summer for
04:55us.
04:56Obviously, I know you've been away at the World Cup and obviously you have sort of franchise commitments as well.
04:59But how's the group sort of feeling, you know, sort of just now, sort of heading into the end of
05:05pre-season,
05:05heading into first game against their 16-3?
05:07We're obviously excited. New season. Everyone's excited. It's the same as every club.
05:10You know, all players are excited for a new season. So hopefully it's a good one.
05:12And just finally a message to the supporters. Obviously, I'm sure they're looking to get back here and watch some
05:16cricket,
05:16but just a message to them.
05:18Obviously, love your support. Hopefully keep coming down, keep supporting us.
05:21Even when it doesn't go bad, we appreciate that. So yeah, see you soon.
05:25And just finally yourself, obviously, you know, all round, you obviously looking, you know,
05:30keep producing back ball and field, you know, you've obviously got all those dimensions
05:34and looking to, you know, put your numbers across like you usually do.
05:37Yeah, try and do what I do most is be consistent and win games.
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