The ECB Southern Electric Premier League cricket season is bracing itself for a mass of opening day postponements as a host of grounds across the region are waterlogged following the heavy rain of the past week.

The competition is scheduled to begin its 15th season tomorrow, but there is a strong likelihood a large number of games will be called off.

Bashley (Rydal), Burridge and St Cross Symondians are all awaiting an umpire’s inspection to formally call-off their scheduled matches with Lymington, the Hampshire Academy and Totton & Eling, respectively.

“You simply cannot get on to the outfield at Burridge, it’s so wet,” said Rick Ankers, whose club’s Premier Division debut will be put on hold for a week.

The only two Premier Division matches that may take place are at Havant, who host Alton, and at Bemerton, where South Wilts open a second title defence against Ventnor.

Spin all-rounder Stuart Ransley, who has assumed the Havant captaincy from Richard Hindley, has been boosted by Chris Morgan’s return from work commitments in the Emirates in time for the new season.

Rohan Kandiah, from the Midland-Guildford Grade club in Perth, is Havant’s overseas recruit and will open the attack with the experienced Jez Ord.

University commitments delay the return of Rob Gibson, who is in his first year at Durham, and Chris Stone, who is taking examinations at Cardiff.

Teenage duo Harry Hovey and Bobby Dyer, both Hampshire EPP players, are selected by Havant, who have performed well in pre-season friendlies, beating Chichester Priory Park, Middleton and Hampshire Under-17s.

Havant: Ransley, Hopson, Walker, Kandiah, Matthews, Hindley, Bulled, Hovey, Morgan, Ord, Dyer Hampshire pair Michael Bates and left-arm spinner Danny Briggs are in a powerful-looking Ventnor side to play South Wilts.

Bates, who has played in Hampshire’s last two LV= County Championship matches, is Ventnor’s registered professional this season.

Briggs makes his first Ventnor appearance for five years, having last turned out for his home town club in 2010, when he played the opening three games of the season.

Tom Friend has returned to the Steephill club after two seasons in the ECB Birmingham Premier League, while Jake George and Oli Mills drive back from university for the match.

South Wilts have won the Premier League for the past two seasons, but lost pre-season warm-up games with Corsham and Bournemouth.

Ventnor: Holmes, Mills, George, Eysele, Bates, Briggs, Hilsum, Ridley, Snell, Friend, Wilson, Cheek, Duggan, Calloway.

Fawley are optimistic their scheduled Southern Electric Premier League Division 1 match against Liphook & Ripsley at Holbory, 1pm, will beat the weather.

The Oilers’ ground is in good nick and new skipper Paul Marks is confident, that given a drying day today, the game will get the go-ahead.

Fawley are boosted by the return of Andy Parratt and Dave Streather from long term injury – Streather having already announced his comeback with a century for Hampshire Seniors’ against Sussex.

Left-arm spinner Elijah Turriff-Smith, who captured 28 wickets for Calmore Sports last season, is due for his Fawley debut.

Fawley: Marks, K Earl, Gates, Parratt, Streather, C Earl, , Royan, Woolgar, Smith, Turriff-Smith, McElhenny.

The potential match of the day in SPL1 between Sarisbury and promoted Basingstoke & North Hants at Allotment Road is almost certain to be called off, while the games at Bournemouth (v Hambledon), Hook & NB (v New Milton) and Hursley Park, where Andover visit, are in doubt.

Hamish Blomfield, who helped Langley Manor win promotion into the SEPL three seasons ago, has returned to the club and will play against fancied Division 2 side Rowledge tomorrow.

The New Zealander, who works at the Basin Reserve Test ground in Wellington, took 31 wickets in manor’s 2011 promotion season.

Australian Josh Holden, from Melbourne, makes his Calmore Sports debut against 2013 Division 3 champions Portsmouth at St Helen’s, Southsea.

Portsmouth have lost their leading wicket-taker, left-arm seamer Vic Dawson to Hursley Park.

Calmore Sports: Vann, Lavelle, Holden, Johns, Pegler, Perry, Rose, Proudley, Cook, Croft, Maiden.