FORMER Dorchester spinner Sean Walbridge reckons his appointment as Dorset's new Minor Counties team manager is the next best thing to playing.

The ex-Dorset skipper was tragically forced to call a premature end to his playing days after a detached retina left him with permanent eye damage on the eve of last season's big game against Yorkshire in the C&G Trophy.

"I have been looking to stay involved in cricket in some way and this is the ideal opportunity," said Walbridge.

"Being involved with the team and the players on a day-to-day basis and helping to improve the team's fortunes is the next best thing to playing and I am really looking forward to it.

"We will have the majority of the players we had last season and as well as building on some of the work we did last year I will be involved in providing a link between the full county side and the development eleven.

"Our aim is to try and bring on more Dorset youngsters and some like Dan Belt from Puddletown have already been invited to come down and net with us. Over a period of time we hope to introduce more youngsters from Dorset into the county side."

Walbridge, who takes over as the Dorset manager from Ian Swarbrick whose work commitments prevent him from continuing this season, said a couple of new faces had also joined them for nets at the weekend.

"But I don't want to give anything away until they have signed on the dotted line because I know other counties are after them too," he said.

With Tim Lamb teaching in Malaysia for the first half of the season, Dorset's new captain will be Peter Deakin with Tom Hicks becoming vice captain.