HAMPSHIRE will soon have a full battery of fast bowlers in Barbados.

Reece Topley, Fidel Edwards, Chris Wood and Ryan Stevenson all missed most of last season.

But the fit-again quartet are aiming to be bowling at full throttle in the Caribbean after flying out today.

Topley, Wood and Stevenson will soon be joining Fidel, who was signed after playing against Hampshire in Barbados two years ago, in the Bajan’s homeland.

The rest of the squad, including new Kolpak signing Kyle Abbott, will join them next Sunday for what will be Hampshire’s seventh successive pre-season trip to the Caribbean.

There was great optimism before the start of last season, largely due to the prospect of Edwards, the 46-wicket hero of the 2015 Great Escape, and marquee signing Reece Topley sharing the new ball.

It soon dissipated as Topley suffered a fractured hand on debut before Edwards broke his ankle while playing football before the final day’s play against county champions Yorkshire at Headingley a week later.

Wood’s attempts to play through another knee injury failed to come off in the next match against eventual champions Middlesex.

A stress fracture of the back, sustained during the Great Escape, limited Stevenson to four white-ball appearances in June.

But Hampshire director of cricket Giles White is confident that Topley, Stevenson, Edwards and Wood will soon be bowling at their best.

“The injured bowlers are undergoing a back-to-bowl programme which at the moment means bowling at 75 per cent with a view to bowling off their full run-ups in Barbados,” he said.

“We’re hopeful everyone will be fit to bowl properly come Thursday. At the moment they’re doing a lot of indoor work, apart from Fidel, who is already there playing in a two-day game in Barbados this week.

“All in all we’re happy with how things are going and I’m looking forward to seeing them all bowling again.”

Last season’s injury crisis saw the likes of Andy Carter, Gareth Andrew and Tino Best drafted in on short-term contracts.

It is hoped there will not be a need for any short-term measures this year.

JA Tomlinson is a familiar name that will be missing from Hampshire scorecards in 2017 following his retirement to the coaching ranks.

But Brad Wheal’s encouraging progress, the all-round skills of Gareth Berg and the re-signing of Abbott on a long-term Kolpak deal - together wit the rehabilitation of the injured quartet - mean the county has strength in depth.

Hampshire have spent two weeks in Barbados every pre-season since 2011 and this trip will have a familiar itinerary, including friendly matches against county opposition.

Two-day games against Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire will sandwich a T20 match against Durham MCCU.

“There will be a good balance between training and game time,” says White. “The wickets are very good there which is important.

“It’s a great environment to train in having been indoors all winter. Hopefully we can adapt quickly and have good weather when we return for our pre-season games in England.”

New signing Rilee Rossouw is one player who will not be in Barbados.

He is having some time off following a month-long stint at the Pakistan Super League, where he helped the Quetta Gladiators reach Sunday’s final in Lahore before pulling out – along with fellow overseas players Kevin Pietersen, Tymal Mills and Luke Wright – due to security concerns.

The 27 year-old left-hander scored 60 and an unbeaten 76 in his first two games for Quetta last month and finished his stint as the tournament’s third-highest run scorer (255 at 42.5 and a strike rate of 123.18) behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam and former West Indies international Dwayne Smith. (Pietersen was not far behind with 242 runs at 34.42 at a strike rate of 151).

There will be other Hampshire players absent from the Barbados trip due to overseas commitments, George Bailey being one.

The overseas signing’s recent form has been very encouraging.

Tasmania’s captain scored an unbeaten double hundred for his state against New South Wales this week, taking his Sheffield Shield aggregate for 2016/17 to an impressive 759 at 75.9.

Bearing in mind teams play a maximum of 11 games in a Sheffield Shield season that is some effort from the competition’s top scorer.

It would not be a surprise if he surpasses it in the 16-match Championship season given his extended availability this year.

The form of Mason Crane, who has taken a lot of wickets for Gordon CC in Australia, has also been encouraging.

Tom Alsop made 96 for the England Lions yesterday and Liam Dawson, who is currently with England’s one-day squad in the Caribbean, will also have gained much from recent international experience.

Alsop, Crane and Dawson and Hampshire captain James Vince will not be in Barbados either due to their inclusion in the South squad for the three 50-over matches against the North in Dubai, from March 15-21.

Vince will captain the South, whose Hampshire quartet make up the biggest contingent from one county in either squad.

After friendlies against Sussex (March 30/31, Hove) and Cardiff MCCU (Ageas Bowl, April 2-4) Hampshire begin their Specsavers County Championship campaign against Yorkshire at Headingley on April 7, before hosting champions Middlesex and Yorkshire again before April is out.

“It could not be a more difficult start to the season," acknowledges White, for whom Michael Carberry’s return to training, after being diagnosed with cancer last year, has been a huge boost as Hampshire prepare for a difficult start to the season. 

“But on balance I’m very pleased with what is an exciting squad.

“We’ve got good young players coming through and we’ve signed some high quality players to complement them.

"It’s now about keeping everyone fit and making sure they’re ready for the first game at Headingley, which is always a tough place to go."