LOCAL lad Dominic Hand has been rewarded for an impressive start to the season with a debut call up to the Dorset Minor Counties Championship squad.

The Wimborne St Giles-raised teenager has been selected for their Western Division encounter against Wiltshire at Corsham which starts on Sunday (11am).

Hand, 18, who plays in the Southern Premier League for Lymington, is a product of the county’s youth system and has represented Dorset at various age group levels.

The talented all-rounder, whose father Stu plays for Dorset over-50s, hit an unbeaten 72 on his Lymington debut, helping them to victory over Burridge last month.

Hand also caught the eye of the Dorset selectors when he scored 49 against Hampshire Academy before taking two for 45 against Southern Premier League champions South Wilts six days ago.

The right-handed top order batsman, who also bowls spin, burst on to the SPL scene with Bournemouth last season and joined Lymington following the Lions’ relegation from the top flight.

He is one of three changes to the Dorset squad with Masoor Khan and Luke Webb returning to replace Chris Jones, Max Waller and Jack Leach who all have commitments with Somerset.

Dorset started their campaign on the receiving end of a heavy defeat by Devon earlier this month, while Wiltshire collected maximum points from a 10-wicket win over Oxfordshire.

Dorset: (from) Khan, Porter, Hicks, Lintott, Webb, C Park, Hand, Wolstenholme, Thomson, Denham, Hayman, Martin.