Hampshire should follow Essex model
I AGREE with the recent criticism of Hampshire’s Kolpak recruitment policy.
In my case it isn’t sour grapes, because a month ago I saw Essex beat them at Chelmsford by an innings and 97 runs in two-and-a-half days.
In that game Essex had seven homegrown players to Hampshire’s four, and might have had an eighth if Hampshire hadn’t poached Reece Topley.
In response to the point made about Yorkshire’s greater population, the difference between Essex and Hampshire certainly isn’t down to that: in mid-2015, the estimated population of Essex was 1,787,000 and of Hampshire slightly more at 1,814,300. Essex’s local talent comes from their excellent scouting and academy system. DAVID PRACY, Nazeing