TEAM manager Peter Kemp will abide by the decision to keep Atherley as Hampshire's Middleton Cup venue - even if it means a revolt by some of his players.

Although the Atherley green has had its problems over the past two summers, Hampshire's general purposes and emergency committee have voted to play their two home group matches in the 2001 county championship at the Hill Lane club.

That decision may have repercussions within Kemp's squad even though the club have already started extensive work to make sure the surface is in the best possible shape for next year.

Certain team members blamed the Atherley green for the defeat by Berkshire that ended the county's Middleton Cup hopes in July and there were rumblings at the time that if Hampshire continued to play there, a number of bowlers might withdraw from next season's squad.

However, a defiant Kemp countered: "If some players pull out because we're at Atherley that is entirely up to them - I will not be dictated to.

"I would sooner lose by 100 shots than go down on my knees and beg them to play. I simply won't go cap in hand to bowlers who don't want to play for Hampshire - because if they don't want to, there are plenty of others who do.

"We have played on far worse greens outside of Hampshire in the Middleton Cup than Atherley. Okay we lost to Berkshire there this year but there were no adverse remarks from the players a fortnight previously when we had beaten Bucks on the same green."

Kemp's theory is that bowlers are getting too used to playing on indoor surfaces where conditions never vary: "Once you get the speed of an indoor surface, the game is easy, but outdoors a green can vary a lot depending on the weather conditions, particularly in the rain or the wind.

"Players must adapt to the conditions on the day."

Kemp did feel, however, that because Atherley cannot guarantee their green to be in peak condition next summer, it might have been prudent to have played elsewhere in 2001 but, following the county's ruling, he is happy to accept it.

Hampshire team captain and long-serving skip Julian Haines of Boscombe Cliff said: "I have not heard that players might pull out if we play at Atherley but I do know that if the players had a choice, they certainly would not play there."