THE Hampshire League recently threw out a proposal at their annual meeting to ban overseas players for the 2005 season.

Bishop's Waltham were just one of the clubs to vote against the proposal from Flamingo's which was seconded by Fareham.

And former BW skipper, Simon Jones, insists the 74/49 vote to retain a foreign influence was a "victory for choice and common sense over insularity."

Jones, a member of the BW playing committee, told the Daily Echo: "It is too easy for a poorly organised club such as Fareham to blame their ills on external factors.

"Surely Fareham should not be blaming at the exploits of just 19 overseas players in County Divisions 1 to 4 as an explanation as to why their first three teams won only 15 matches between them in 2004.

"One can but hope that the 14 matches won by their fourth team (winners of Division South East 4) are due to a flourishing youth policy."

Jones, right, added: "Overseas players are often lazily cited as hampering the development of local young cricketers.

"Fair Oak CC's rise through five divisions to the Southern League over the past six years shows that overseas can, and indeed should, play a leading role in youth development, which is the only way to ensure long term improvement in a club's fortunes.

"'Hired guns' can at best provide a short-term boost, but there are no short cuts to lasting success.

"Nor should cricket attempt to legislate against those who delude themselves that there are, because this throws the baby out with the bathwater.

"Clubs are at present progress from the Hampshire Cricket League to the Southern League at the top of the county cricket pyramid by promotion and subject to justifiably rigorous requirements.

"Were a ban on overseas players ever to come in to force, this could also promote the 'hired gun' philosophy within Southern League with clubs looking to preserve their status at any cost.

"For a pyramid to work effectively, clubs need to have the capacity to move up (and down) through it from top to bottom.

"How could this happen with a 'closed shop' mentality at the apex?"

Bishop's Waltham have used overseas players twice in recent years.

In 2002 Guyanan Adrian Bevaun "was being talked up by Daily Echo reporter Mike Vimpany among others as Viv Richards and Curtly Ambrose rolled into one," recalled Jones.

"While Adrian was indeed an accomplished player, his 64 runs and seven wickets in four matches before he left for the States hardly bear this out.

"In 2003, South African pace bowler Sean van Duiker claimed 44 wickets in the season, and indeed played a large part in the first team's promotion.

"But so did batsmen Rob Bailey and Mike Barrett - a product of the club's colts system - not to mention the rest of the squad.

"And Sean also played a significant role in coaching the club's under-15 and Sunday players."

In 2004 Bishop's Waltham 1st XI held their own in the league above without an overseas player, while the second team, thanks in no small measure to the promotion of young players, achieved its best Hampshire League finish since entering the league in 1999.

"In 2005 we hope to make further strides, again with no overseas player," explained Jones, who said his views must not be seen as representative of his club.

"The league is full of many types of club, from one team outfits formed on a social, works or village basis, to multi-team city-based clubs with thriving youth sections, or like most of us somewhere in between.

"It is not just a recreational league with the aspirations of individuals like Mike Vimpany or teams like Fareham CC.

"It is sad that we came as close as we did to narrowing our horizons and putting the Hampshire League out of step with the overwhelming majority of leagues up and down the country.

"I can only hope that this is a road which we never travel again."