THIS is the squad that has Hampshire’s best chance of winning the County Championship for many years.

Hampshire’s annual press call this week was a little anti-climactic as a saturated outfield meant the team photographs had to be taken in the Shane Warne Stand’s Ageas Bowl suite, while marquee signing Hashim Amla was conspicuous by his absence, having only arrived from South Africa a few hours earlier.

But that could not disguise the reality that this is likely to be one of Hampshire’s most exciting seasons in the longer form since the Shane Warne era more than a decade ago

It is fair to say that Hampshire’s first selection meeting of the season will be one of the county’s most difficult for many years after the recent additions of Amla, Sam Northeast.

Then there’s the prospect of Dale Steyn sharing the new ball with Kyle Abbott during the run-in.

Giles White was also absent from the press day due to a meeting with his fellow directors of cricket at Edgbaston.

But he was back at the Ageas Bowl yesterday to pick Hampshire’s XI for the opening match against Worcestershire.

Hampshire’s only injury concern is Mason Crane, who is currently recovering from the stress fracture that curtailed his winter with England.

But given the inclement weather, it is fair to assume he would not have been involved at the beginning of the season anyway.

The likelihood is that Hampshire will start the season with a team looking something like this: Jimmy Adams, Hashim Amla, James Vince (c), Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Lewis McManus, Gareth Berg, Kyle Abbott, Brad Wheal, Fidel Edwards.

When you consider that XI does not include Sean Ervine and Ian Holland – and that Steyn and Crane will bolster the attack in late summer – it is a formidable prospect for Hampshire’s rivals.

Amla is a specialist number three but it seems he is willing to open, which is admirable given English conditions at this time of year, especially so after the wettest pre-season in living memory.

Encouragingly, Amla has happy memories of opening at The Ageas Bowl.

It may have been in a different format but Amla’s 150 at West End for South Africa against England in a 2012 one-day international bodes well.

The other opening berth has been the subject of conjecture, albeit less so post-Michael Carberry.

Jimmy Adams’ unbeaten 182 against Cardiff MCCU last weekend puts him in pole position ahead of the likes of Tom Alsop and Joe Weatherley, who will doubtless learn plenty from Amla over the next few months.

Also in Adams’ favour is the logic of starting with a left-hand/right-hand opening partnership where possible.

Big runs for Vince at number three would ensure he keeps his place there for England next month. He will be relishing the prospect of second-wicket partnerships with Sam Northeast, his former England U19 teammate, for whom a big season would put him in the England reckoning.

“It’s always a good challenge early season but I’m looking forward to playing at the Ageas Bowl, it’s a very good track to bat on,” said Northeast.

“We’ve got a good chance to do something special.”

Northeast will be hoping to have more luck in his debut season than Rilee Rossouw, who was only available for half of last season’s Championship matches due to a couple of fractured digits, one of which required surgery.

An ever-present campaign from him would be a boon, but Ervine, Alsop and Weatherley are not a bad trio to have in reserve

While Liam Dawson has always considered himself a batsman who bowls, he is a genuine all-rounder at number six, where his spin will be increasingly valued as the season goes on in Crane’s absence.

With an average of 30-plus over the last few years and glovework that loses little in comparison with Michael Bates, Lewis McManus has established himself as Hampshire’s wicketkeeper-batsman so is a shoo-in at number seven.

Then there is the seam attack, which picks itself for the time being.

Ian Holland would be invaluable in early-season conditions but assuming all are fit it is hard to look past a quartet of Abbott, Edwards, Berg and Wheal

As Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove put it while surveying the squad yesterday afternoon: “‘Wow - and that’s without Amla! It’s probably the most balanced we’ve been since we’ve been here.

“If they can believe that we’ll grow. There’s a lot of experience there, Daws and Vincey have been around the circuit a long time now and Sam too.

“So there’s an awful lot to lean on in terms of positivity and experience.

“Winning the championship takes a bit of luck but what I liked about Essex last year is that they showed you can make your own luck.”

With the forecast much improved towards the end of the week, Hampshire have a good chance to start well against newly-promoted Worcestershire this weekend.

They will have tough tests of their title credentials in their next two matches, against Surrey at The Oval before champions Essex visit at the end of the month.

Many pundits have tipped Hampshire for the title but we will have a much better idea of their chances by mid-May.

When the Royal London One-day Cup gets underway next month, Hampshire will already have played nearly a third of the Championship season.