HAMPSHIRE, who reached the final of the Home Counties League last winter, begin their programme in this season's competition against Sussex on Sunday (10am).

Teams are allowed up to 12 current Liberty Trophy bowlers in their eight-rink side and Hampshire have named their full quota of Liberty men for the game, which has four rinks at Havant Borough and four at Adur, Bognor Regis.

The HCL is an ideal event for bringing on promising county bowlers with a longer-term view to them moving up to Liberty level and, in men like Graham Hillier, Palmerston skip Andy McKain and youngsters Andrew Herring (Banister Park) and Tom Bishop (Atherley), Hampshire have one eye on the future.

Hillier has been a consistent yet unsung bowler for years, indoors at Longmeadow and outdoors at Old Basing, but finally made a name for himself last summer when winning the Hampshire singles title.

This match could be the first step as far as Hillier is concerned towards a Liberty Trophy place - and, after last year's exploits, he could also feature in the Middleton Cup picture in 2005 for the new county boss - whoever that might be.

Tom Bishop and Herring are two of Hampshire's brightest young guns, Bishop having made a lasting impression with his display at lead in the under-25 county double rink final at Melton Mowbray in 2004. Tom leads in a rink alongside his dad David.

County assistant manager Graham Standley, who is in charge of the HCL team alongside Derek Collins, takes club colleague Hillier under his wing in one of the rinks at Havant and also includes at lead Keith Cole, winner of the Hampshire pairs crown with Standley last year.

As last season, one of the rinks is an all-Banister Park foursome skipped by John Joslin, a bowler who has been promoted to Liberty status after playing in the HCL.

The only change to the Banister quartet that lined up against Surrey in the 2004 final was Herring replacing Geoff Norgate at number two.

Despite losing 170-138 to Surrey in their group Hampshire qualified from their section, beating Sussex in the process. Standley's men went on to defeat Kent in the semi-final but could not gain revenge in the final, meeting Surrey again and going down this time just 151-148.