Hampshire skipper Jimmy Adams thinks the club should focus their efforts on getting back to Division One.
It could be a big year for County Championship Division Two side Hampshire with their captain Jimmy Adams naming promotion to Division One their top priority.
The county have lost some big names in the close season following the departure of bowler Kabir Ali and batsman Simon Katich to Lancashire, but Adams thinks they have the quality to go up.
“We dearly want to get promotion this year,” the Hampshire captain told the BBC.
“Come September hopefully after a season of hard work and toil, we can welcome Division One cricket here next season.”
Adams’ side in recent times have been considered to be a strong force in the short-over game – Hampshire won the domestic 40-over and Twenty20 competitions last year – but some way short of the mark in four-day matches.
Since relegation in 2011 the club have failed to make it back to the top tier of English cricket, but their captain is clearly looking for that to change in 2013.
Adams has already had to make his first tough decision of the season by handing wicketkeeper Adam Wheater his Hampshire debut ahead of Michael Bates.
22-year-old Bates is recognised as one of the outstanding young talents at Hampshire since cementing his place last season, but the hierarchy at the club have opted for the experience of new signing Wheater instead, as they begin their promotion challenge.
The club starts their County Championship campaign against Leicestershire today.
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