SOUTHERN Electric Premier cricket League chairman Alan Bundy has called for club captains to take more responsibility for on-field discipline.

Bundy believes there is room for improvement as three SEPL club captains were punished for offences in 2004.

Former Hampshire all rounder Lee Savident, the Portsmouth skipper, received a one month suspended ban for dissent, which expired at the end of the season.

Calmore Sports skipper James Hibberd was handed a suspended two-match ban, which does not expire until July 2005, for dissent and verbal abuse of an umpire during a match against Burridge.

Hibberd, who will play for BAT Sports next year, was also suspended by his club for one match last season, while Easton & Martyr Worthy skipper Ashley Spencer received a warning for dissent in a match against Lymington at the end of July.

Sparsholt wicketkeeper Nick Boxall was the only other player to receive a suspended ban last season, a two-week punishment for crude and offensive language, which has expired.

But three SEPL players will be suspended at the beginning of next season following misdemeanours during matches last summer.

Bundy said: "It was an average year for us, it wasn't bad and we don't have a serious problem but there is room for improvement.

"Ideally we wouldn't have any suspensions but sport's not like that and I don't think anyone can ever eradicate the problem in the present climate - what we see in sport at the top doesn't help the lower leagues

"What we want to do is get the captains to take more responsibility for the behaviour of their teams on the field which will help us make sure that punishments are consistent throughout the league.

"We're trying to be more aware of what's going on on the field and we try to be fair throughout the league by making sure that all incidents are reported. But our league is better than some."

The following players will be suspended at the beginning of next season:

Easton & Martyr opening batsman Dave Birch (2 games), following an incident in the match with Lymington on July 24.

Leckford all-rounder Miles Bulpitt (4 games), following an incident against Trojans on July 31 (Leckford will be playing in the Hampshire League next season)

Havant and Hampshire under-19 seamer James Ingram (2 games), following an incident in match with South Wilts on August 14.

Southern Electric Premier League cricket champions, South Wilts have been chosen to host Wiltshire's Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy first

round tie against Kent next season.

The match will be played at Lower Bemerton, near Salisbury, on either May 3 or 4, with South Wilts batsman Russell Rowe skippering the Wiltshire Minor Counties team.