Hampshire batsmen Derek Kenway and Lawrie Prittipaul have both been released by their home county.

Botley-based Kenway, 27, and Portsmouth-born Prittipaul, 25, had been earmarked to play for Hampshire since their schooldays but leave with less than 100 first class apperarances for their home county between them.

Kenway made his Hampshire debut as a teenager and back in 1999 he looked set for a successful career when he scored 1,055 first class runs at 42.20.

Sadly, that was the only season in which he scored more than 1,000 runs.

Two years later, in Hampshire's first season at the Rose Bowl, he hit 932 at 34.51 - including a career best 166 at West End.

But he has not progressed since returning from the inaugural England Academy in 2001-02, where his contemporaries included Test duo Ian Bell and Simon Jones, as well as his Hampshire teammate Chris Tremlett.

Three years ago, Kenway looked set to leave Hampshire for Nottinghamshire but was so highly regarded he was talked out of a move by Shane Warne and Paul Terry, who replaced Jimmy Cook as coach the following season.

Terry said: "We knew Des had a lot of talent and although I hadn't seen a great deal of him myself at that time, I'd heard a lot about him and felt we needed to keep him.

"For one reason or another he hasn't shown his talent consistently enough since then which is disappointing for all the coaching staff.

"You always feel a little responsibilty, I pick the guys and want everybody to succeed as first class players and cannot help but feel that maybe I haven't been able to get the best out of them.

"But unfortunately for those two, they've had a fair few opportunities and we've had to make these tough decisions."

Prittipaul represented England under-17s before scoring 152 on his Hampshire debut in 2000.

That innings remains the highest score by a Hampshire debutant but Prittipaul failed to capitalsie on his good start.

Terry added: "A lot of things go into making a first class cricketer. They have to have talent to start with but the best cricketers are the ones who work hard at their games as well as having natural ability."

Kenway scored 65 at Old Trafford as Hampshire beat Lancashire for the first time in 13 years at the beginning of June.

But that was his only success this season. He made just 19 runs in four Twenty 20 innings, averaged 22.66 in seven National League matches and has not played a championship game since hitting 0 and 20 in the opening game against Gloucestershire.

He leaves Hampshire with 4,382 first class runs to his name at 29.61.

The highlight of Prittipaul's final season with Hampshire was the 35 he made from 24 balls to help win a crucial Twenty20 group match against the Kent Spitfires in June.

But he only played two National League games and has not played a championship match for nearly a year.

He leaves with a record of 975 first class runs from 18 appearances at 28.67.

Terry added: "In terms of performances in the last couple of years it wasn't a particularly hard decision but it's always hard when you don't renew people's contracts.

"It's the worst part of the job and doesn't get any easier. Dez and Lozza are both lovely lads and I'd love nothing more than for them both to prove me wrong and be successful somewhere else, but it was a decision that I feel is the right one.

"We've got a lot of young batters on the staff at the moment like Kevin Latouf, Chris Benham, Michael Brown, Jimmy Adams, Greg Lamb and Jono McLean, who are all showing good signs."

Seamer James Bruce is also out of contract next month, but beneficiary Alan Mullally is the only other player expected to leave the staff at the end of the season.