ANDOVER and Bournemouth are leading the chase to sign Hampshire newcomer Jono McLean for the coming ECB Southern Electric Premier League season.

McLean, who played Sussex League cricket for Hastings & St Leonard's Priory last season, made a huge impression with a series of fine performances on trial for Hampshire 2nd XI last summer.

He has joined Hampshire on a two-year contract.

Portsmouth, meanwhile, have signed Bryan Pietersen, the 21-year old brother of England one-day international star Kevin Pietersen, who was linking up with his new Hampshire teammates for the first time today.

A top order batsman and medium-pace bowler, Pietersen junior played two Second XI Championship matches for Nottinghamshire in 2000 - the year before Kevin made his Notts debut.

Like his elder brother, Bryan comes from Natal and was selected for South Africa's Shell Under-19 Academy in 2000.

Former Hampshire paceman James Schofield, who was with Sparsholt in 2004, has also joined the Southsea club.

The pair will link up with Lee Savident and Hampshire's Lawrie Prittipaul at St Helen's this summer.

Another former Hampshire player, 2nd XI wicketkeeper Iain Brunnschweiller has joined relegated Premier Division 3 club Burridge in a player/coach capacity.

Released from the county staff at the end of the 2003 season, Brunschweiller took a year off from cricket last summer.

He will be joined at Burridge by 18-year old Australian Steve Abbott, who plays for Perth in the WACA Grade Pennant competition.

Hampshire junior Darren Rouse, who attends Perins Community School at Alresford, jets off to the Caribbean this Thursday to represent the West of England Under-15s on an eight-match tour of the West Indies.

An opening batsman and wicketkeeper, who can also bowl, Rouse, pictured, has been preparing for a trip to the sun with the full England Under-15 squad, for whom he hopes to be capped this summer.

Rouse will link up with Hampshire YC teammates Henry Don and Liam Dawson on the tour. They will play four matches each in Guyana and Barbados.

New Zealand's best chance of saving the second Test against Australia seems to rest with the Wellington weather.

The Black Caps were bowled out for 244 on the fourth day at Basin Reserve and Australia enforced the follow-on with them still trailing by 326 runs.

Hampshire captain Shane Warne had taken three of the wickets but, when tea was taken, the rain again intervened and play was abandoned.