WEYMOUTH captain Dave Trotter is happy with how his players are shaping up ahead of the new cricket season.

The experienced bowler, who has been ruled out of the start of the campaign with a knee-ligament injury, is overjoyed with the strength in depth in the squad and reckons a successful term could lie ahead.

His comments came after the Seasiders suffered a narrow defeat at Hartley Wintney followed by a 12-run success at Martinstown.

Trotter said: “Results aren't important in pre-season but performances are. On that score we had a very successful couple of days and I was really impressed with how things went.

“Hartley Wintney are the side who our ex-batsman Darren McBride plays for and they compete at a higher level than we do.

“But we matched them throughout with the highlights being a superb 69 by Dean Janaway and some excellent bowling from Dan Hutchens and Rob Nobbs.

“At Martinstown, it was Andy Fulton and Tommy England who performed with the bat while Jack Crocker, Cube Whyte and Henry Bloxham all bowled really well.

“It was a promising start with the season just a couple of weeks away and what's good is that there is real competition for places at the moment which means no one can afford to rest on their laurels for one moment.”

Weymouth will open their Dorset Premier Division campaign with a trip to Poole on May 2.