FORMER Hampshire batsman Matthew Keech has stressed he would be happy to fulfil a stand-by role for Dorset this year.

But he has made it clear he does not want to replace any of the players who helped them secure the Minor Counties Championship title for the first time last season.

Dorset manager Peter Moxam and captain Stuart Rintoul have already made it known they would like Keech to play as often as he can this summer.

And Keech, who cracked 73 against Bedfordshire on his Dorset debut, said: "I am happy to help out when I can."

The 30-year-old added: "What I have said from the beginning is that I won't be available for every game due to my own coaching commitments.

"However, I've agreed that whenever Dorset are desperate I will step in if I can.

"Darren Cowley couldn't play against Bedfordshire so that is why I came in.

"When Dorset need someone I'll help them out as long as I get plenty of notice.

"I wouldn't want to step in and take someone else's place from the side that won the championship though.

"But I am quite happy to play when they need me."Keech, who spent six years with Hampshire before being released at the end of 1999, was impressed with the standard of cricket in his run out for Dorset in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

The right-hander said: "It was a pretty high standard.

"Okay, the Australian, Shaun Young, lifted the standard because he can certainly bowl.

"But other than that, there was not a huge difference between first-class and Minor Counties.

"In first-class you might get one bad ball an over. But with this you might get one or two.

"It is just making sure you hit the chances when you get them."

Keech felt Dorset were unfortunate to bow out of the national one-day competition and miss a mouthwatering home tie against Yorkshire in the third round.

He said: "It was a close match but Young shaded it in Bedfordshire's favour.

"When he was bowling, he wasn't bowling any rubbish. It was all a foot outside off stump and swinging away.

"He played one game for Australia and that is worth 50 for England.

"I played against him when he was at Gloucestershire so I knew he was a quality player.

"He chipped in with bat and ball and although he took no wickets, he kept the pressure on at his end so we couldn't score quickly enough."