TORY boss Michael Ancram called in at Hampshire's new county cricket ground as his party's General Election campaign got into top spin.

The Conservative chairman was handed a cricket bat for a photo opportunity with Eastleigh's prospective parliamentary candidate Conor Burns and former Hampshire captain John Stephenson.

But Mr Ancram was mindful that his batting technique might be pounced upon by cricket-loving former Premier John Major.

"I am not going to play any strokes. I am not John Major," quipped the Conservative chief as he surveyed West End's £20 million Rose Bowl Ground, which will also be the stage for crowd-pulling international cricket matches.

Mr Ancram, who was accompanied on a tour of the ground by the Rose Bowl's head of publicity Jane Kerr, said: "It is a fantastic ground and I am very impressed."

The Conservative chairman said he had enjoyed playing cricket as a schoolboy, and also revealed that he had close family ties with the game.

His brother-in-law is former England and Kent cricket star Sir Colin Cowdrey.

Mr Ancram said: "He keeps me well-advised on cricket and I enjoy watching cricket quite often with him."

Commenting on the current political field of play Mr Ancram said: "The polls are beginning to vary. The days of a solid Labour lead are gone, and we have got everything to play for. We are confident we can win the election."