ON a beautiful sunny Spring day, Will Kendall stood at the top tier of Hampshire's new £8m pavilion yesterday, looking across the impressive Rose Bowl complex and the sweep of countryside beyond.

"I just want to be out in the middle batting," admitted Hampshire's vice-captain. "It is a beautiful ground. People talk about beauty of the Newlands ground in Cape Town, but this has the potential to be anything it wants. I don't think there is a county ground like it."

Kendall was taking a break from indoor nets to admire the latest addition to the county complex. Workers are still beavering away to apply the finishing touches, but Hampshire chief executive, Graham Walker, is confident the canopied pavilion should be ready for the start of the county championship season - against Leicestershire on April 24.

Speaking at a media launch yesterday, Walker said: "It has been a magnificent effort to get where we are today.

"Hampshire cricket is a journey. We have had our troubled history, but we have overcome those problems, but we are looking forward with a great sense of optimism and enthusiasm to make this building available not only to members of Hampshire County Cricket Club, but to everyone in this community."

Hampshire and its owning company, Rose Bowl PLC, have now invested £20m on the site - that includes an £8million contributed by Sport England - which will be able to stage one-day internationals from 2004. Currently with a seating capacity of 6,600, that can be increased intially to 10,000 say the county, eventually they want to look beyond that figure.

The pavilion itself is an impressive complex with 560 seats, a Long Room, dining rooms, kitchens, and two impressive dressing rooms, which have jacuzzis.

Kendall admitted he was very happy with the set-up. "I think Adie Aymes could have done with a sauna in the dressing room, but the facilities are fantastic," he said.

"We have a fantastic opportunity here to start from a clean slate and to develop world class facilities. I think there is more potential at this ground than at any ground I have played because it is a clean stage. This is the most exciting development I have seen in county cricket."

The players are now back in training. Robin Smith is expected to join his team-mates next week after flying home from New Zealand. "The last ten days have been extremely hard," added Kendall. "I don't think fitness levels have ever been so high. It should be an interesting season.

"We are delighted to have John Crawley with us. He is a quality, class player. It has been a difficult winter for John, but he seems more determined to get back his England form, and to get back in the reckoning."