HAMPSHIRE will not select their first choice Twenty20 side for the warm-up match against a Southern Electric Premier League XI tomorrow evening.

Manager Paul Terry will give all his players a game in the two Twenty20 friendlies against the SEPL, at Bournemouth's Chapel Gate ground tomorrow (6pm), and at BAT's Southern Gardens on Wednesday.

But he will wait until the opening match against the Essex Eagles at Chelmsford on Friday night before selecting his first choice Twenty20 XI.

Terry said: "We probably won't have our absolute, number one side out in these games because one or two might get rested but we'll play most of our guys and we're looking forward to it.

"Most of our first choice side will play in at least one of these games. We'll mix and match a little bit to see who performs well and then go from there.

"They'll be a useful warm up. Mike Vimpany mentioned the idea to me last year and I thought it was quite a good idea.

"We didn't really have anything like this last year as a warm up for the guys and it would be great if we could get some people to come and watch, it would make it even more exciting."

Last season, the Hampshire squad played an inter club Twenty 20 match in pre-season.

But after winning the opening match against Sussex at the Rose Bowl - which attracted a Rose Bowl record attendance of 8,500 despite the fact the game was televised live on Sky - they lost their remaining four group games against Kent, Essex, Middlesex and Surrey.

This year they play the same teams at the group stage and Terry is confident his players have learnt from last season.

He added: "It's the sort of thing you don't really know how to approach until you actually play it. Tactically, we weren't wrong last year.

"At the end of the day it's how you execute the tactics. Surrey won it last year and didn't approach it that differently.

"They obviously had some good batters and people like Ian Ward just batted properly, which is how we have to approach it to a degree.

"You have your shot-making in there as well so it's just getting a balance, not losing many wickets and being able to accelerate hard at the end.

"It's pretty hard for the bowlers, the boundaries are shorter and if you bowl four overs and go for 25 runs you've done a pretty good job. But we have to bat a bit better.

"Not many people got fifties for us last year. You're mistaken if you go out there and think you can have a slog because it's just 20 overs.

"If you lose four or five quick wickets, which we did last year, then it makes it difficult to accelerate.

"That's one area we need to improve on."

Terry rates the Twenty20 Cup alongside the C& G Trophy in importance.

He added: "In terms of crowds you'd have to say it's on a par with the C & G Trophy because it's what people want to come and watch, so we have to treat it with due respect.

"Everyone is really up for it and we'd certainly like to win it."

Shane Warne could return in time for the final group game against Kent on July 15 and Hampshire are still hoping that Aussie all-rounder Shane Watson (hamstring) will be fit for Friday's opener.

Terry added: "Paddy Farhart, physio is quietly confident that Shane Watson should be able to make it.

"Even if he isn't able to bowl for us, he's a pretty good batter, so he should play."