BOURNEMOUTH captain Martin Miller is starting the Southern Premier League season with a selection headache – and is hoping to avoid a cure.

The Chapel Gate club have beefed up their resources during the winter with a string of signings including ex-Ventnor all-rounder Henry Bartlett and former Hampshire Academy man Dom Clutterbuck.

Dorset skipper Chris Park has returned to the club in both a playing capacity and as director of cricket, while county leg-spinner Jem Warner is also on board.

While the departures of bowlers Josh Finnie, Mike Kitson and potentially David Kidner are significant, left-arm spinner and New Zealander Luke Germon is available for selection, although fierce competition means he has not been included for tomorrow's Division One opener at home to Old Tauntonians & Romsey (1pm).

Keen to improve on last season's mid-table finish, Miller admitted decisions over who to include and leave out had been debated long and hard.

He told the Daily Echo: "We've had a real influx over the winter and our selection committee meeting on Tuesday was at least two hours long. We have real competition for places which we haven't had in recent years.

"It's difficult to know if we will be stronger. When you lose two frontline bowlers it is clearly a problem but we have recruited batsmen which was a bigger problem last year.

"It will depend how we gel as a team and if the batsmen are scoring the runs we didn't last year and if the bowlers adequately replace those we have lost, we will do better. If we play to the best of our ability we will do very well.

"Hopefully, the arrival of players will mean our availability is much better. People who miss a week shouldn't necessarily expect to retain their place when they return. That was a weakness of ours last year so, hopefully, we have addressed that.

"We picked the strongest second team I have seen at Bournemouth for a few years and that was without players who were unavailable. There were people that played in the first XI last year that didn't make the team, because we have had so many good cricketers arrive. It all bodes well.

"You are only as strong as your second XI because you need strength-in-depth and I feel on paper, we've got that. It's going to cause a selection headache which is a nice problem to have.

"But it's all very well things being good on paper, if everyone is out of form, it doesn't matter who's on your team sheet."

Bournemouth, who are without Andy Hayward due to a dislocated shoulder, face Lymington in the Royal London Club Championship on Sunday (1pm).

Miller added: "We haven't got our strongest side out and Lymington would probably say the same but we'd love to be able to put one over on them.

"It's another opportunity for our guys to show what they can do against a decent side that plays in the league above."

Bournemouth (Saturday): Miller, Bridgen, Bartlett, C Park, Matthews, Hurley, Jones, Warner, Pack, Clutterbuck, Woodward.