This Souvenir Brochure is the inspiration of Hampshire's new Captain, Mark Nicholas; his was the original idea and his the implementation. Straightaway, therefore, I thank him most sincerely for helping the Club in this way. Moreover this is my first opportunity, in print, to congratulate Mark on his appointment as Captain of Hampshire and to wish him many years of happy and successful leadership of our County Team. His talents are obviously not limited to cricket.

To celebrate, by means of this publication, 100 years at our Southampton County Ground was an excellent idea, and what better way to compliment the article than to listen on the Cassette to Hampshire's voice of cricket, John Arlott. No-one can have done more to bring cricket to an even wider audience throughout the world. The cassette is an added bonus for which we are very fortunate and thank John very much.

The brochure, which must become a collector's piece, contains a Preface from H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh who showed us at Bournemouth, in the match to which he refers, that he was no mean player himself. Then we have an article from Sir Donald Bradman, who played three times against Hampshire at Southampton. There are a host of other Contributors; most are household names either nationally or to Hampshire folk. They include Historians, Broadcasters and Sports writers as well as past and present players. They all share in common a love of cricket with a warm regard for Hampshire and we are very grateful for their contributions. To some of us these bring back happy, if nostalgic, memories of former days and personalities.

The brochure is not intended to be a history. It is a varied and fascinating miscellany and, of necessity, it cannot be comprehensive. How much we would have relished an article from or on Harry Altham, Hampshire's President for 19 years till 1965. He had few, if any, peers as a Cricket Historian and Writer. His service to Hampshire during his long Presidency were immense as were his services to the game as a whole. No doubt there are others of whom we would like to have read more. Nick Pocock for instance under whose recent leadership Hampshire rose from last in the Championship in 1980 to 3rd in 1982 & 3.

It is a privilege to write an introduction to this Brochure. You will surely enjoy it. It is published at a time when Hampshire's prospects for the immediate future are very good. With the return to the team of Gordon Greenidge (whose MBE in the New Year's Honours delighted us all) and of Ma1colm Marshal], we should have a strong and attractive batting side and more penetration in the bowling. Good luck to the new Captain and his team and may our successors, 100 years from now, be celebrating the bicentenary of cricket at Southampton - what price this Brochure then!

Cecil Paris, President.