Hampshire Cricket History

(Shot by NJM Photography)

Sean Ervine batted superbly yesterday to take Hampshire to respectability. As in his record innings against Somerset a couple of years ago he batted really well with the tail – I find it so refreshing to see him trust them rather than manipulating everything. Frequently Glamorgan offered a single early in the over and frequently Ervine took it which helped him to his century and Hampshire past 300. As for Balcombe, from his debut he’s always looked capable of scoring runs and he batted really well yesterday. My pal Bob Murrell, our stats man, tells me their 10th wicket partnership was the highest against any county at the Rose/Ageas Bowl. Let’s hope for lots of wickets today on that very green strip.

Shaun Udal was at the Ageas Bowl today recording a piece ‘behind the scenes’ – here he was talking about his “proudest moment” leading his county to the 2005 Lord’s triumph. The young lady (producer) on the left is the daughter of the Hon Timothy Lamb, ECB, Middlesex and Northants.

It will probably be shown during the one day international.

PS ‘Dimi’ was there too and running around, jumping about and sometimes sitting down. Apparently he may play tomorrow.

Marcus North’s sponsored car at the Rose Bowl today. He’s here with Glamorgan of course but three years ago he played on the first day for Hampshire at Edgbaston before being whisked away by the Australians and replaced by Michael Lumb. He never played for Hampshire in a home game but he’s here now.

Incidentally there are ‘one match wonders’ who spent less time on the field for Hampshire – and one who never crossed the boundary line!

Hampshire are playing Scotland at Uddington – the first time they have played a competitive match in that part of Scotland, south of Glasgow and as far as I can see in the Borders.

Hampshire went to Glasgow in 1992 for a B&H match that was washed out (despite which we won the Trophy). In 2003 we played home and away (Edinburgh) in the National League and this is the third consecutive year that we’ve met them home and away in the CB40, twice at Aberdeen and now Uddington. Hampshire have won all six to date and apart from a D/L last year Hampshire have enjoyed easy victories by 6, 7 and 8 wickets and 31 and 115 runs.

They stumbled mid-innings today after a good innings from Carberry but Kabir Ali hit 32 and has taken two in two and Scotland need almost seven runs an over with a third of the innings gone. Durham and Surrey is tight – if Durham (and Hampshire) win, then Hampshire will be level on points with Surrey and Durham, heading the table.

For the second consecutive Saturday, Hampshire were involved in a dull day – although I suspect that in both cases the opposition had more to answer for. But I’ve just read the reports of yesterday’s Championship matches in today’s Observer and there seems to be a pattern

Firstly there is rain of course and we can’t help that. But after Derbyshire beat Glamorgan in three days, all the other matches were drawn. Apart from Hampshire’s game only Warwickshire v Lancashire failed to reach a fourth innings but the result there was in doubt until late afternoon and an unbroken partnership pf 139 that saved Lancs. Elsewhere a target of 315 in 60 overs for Worcestershire was “beyond their range”, a top class contest at the Oval lacked “the finish it deserved”, Kent’s game with Northants “petered out”, while Leics v Essex ended in a “tame draw” despite “a diet of declaration bowling”.

Compared with the Olympic torch, a late winner for West Ham, a penalty shoot-out by Chelsea, the finish of the Premiership football and a high scoring Twickenham final – and with T20, the Olympics and Euro 2012 looming (not to mention Her Majesty) – those of us particularly fond of County Championship cricket aren’t getting much entertainment. And while I accept that rain caused problems at Headingley those two sides were not remotely close to a result after 300 overs. It took me back to the first match I ever saw in 1959 when Surrey chased 278 on the last afternoon and finished on 266-9. This too, after Hampshire had led the reigning Champions by 121 until Bedser and Laker led the fight-back and Barrington (100) the charge – oh and a chap called Shackleton took five wickets on the last afternoon.

I’m not picking this at random – it really was the first match I saw and the two teams conjured this wonderful finish from three days of 325 overs (80% pace bowling). That’s only 25 overs more than we had at Headingley this week and it’s difficult to see that those 25 overs would have changed anything significantly.

Yet within four years of that 1959 game, the counties had introduced a knock-out cup because people were bored with longer form and crowds were declining year-on-year. Even that change is interesting because it offered 130 then 120 overs in the day and real possibilities of twists and turne. Now, so-called’ one-day cricket lasts at most for just 80 overs. The subtleties of the various competitions available in the 1960s – somewhere between four days and 40 overs – have pretty much vanished. Or am I just getting old?

It’s raining at Headingley. In my local paper today, Jimmy Adams said he could see little chance of a result (unless Hampshire collapsed). There is no provision to make up lost time on day four so any remote chance must be receding now – it’s raining too at Leicester, Worcester and Birmingham and the forecast has it moving north so I guess the wait may be a while, followed by playing for your average and a bit of form.

There’s an interesting game developing at the Oval where Somerset scored 512-9 dec in their first innings but could still lose. The two sides there are scoring at the equivalent of about 50 runs more per day than at Headingley. Add those runs and Hampshire’s game might be going somewhere too ….

PS: 12.30pm – Surrey have dismissed Somerset and, chasing 305, are 21-1 – very interesting. Hampshire are about to start, so that’s another 1.5 hours lost which takes them up to 52.175 hours this year. This is more time lost in the 2012 Championship than any of the 18 sides lost through the whole of last season – by 19 May!

PPS: They’ve taken a late lunch. Allowing for two overs between innings, this afternoon/evening has about 55 overs to play and Hampshire lead by 101 with nine wickets left so there’s surely no chance of a result. Elsewhere Newman and Key are bowling for Kent v Northants so I reckon there’s a game being set up there but it’s difficult to see Leics and Essex doing anything – they’ve not started yet. No more updates from me – I’m off to enjoy the sunshine!

I was pleased to see Liam Dawson among the wickets today but very sorry to see him out cheaply again. Hampshire have had 10 opening partnerships in Championship matches this season (Adams/Dawson/Terry) and have posted a total of just 122 runs – so an average of 12.2 and a highest of 27. It’s a shame because Dawson did so well last year but I wonder whether we shall see Michael Carberry back at the top of the order next week. As for this game, it seems it will need some superb bowling by Yorkshire for anything other than a draw – and maybe then some even more superb bowling by Hampshire! Yorkshire might have declared at 350 but perhaps there’s been a private indication of no targets tomorrow after Yorkshire’s win at Bristol last Saturday.

It is a myth that there are more positive results in Division Two (check last season) – perhaps the 37 overs lost would have made a difference? Or maybe it’s particularly difficult to engineer things with the top teams, Derbyshire having secured safe points against us last week have beaten Glamorgan in three days today. The Welsh side  look weak.

I’ve just received this from the former Hampshire batsman Alan Rayment:

11am – the Test has begun with both Yorkshire players in the side which helps Hampshire but it’s raining in Headingley. As of 11am today Hampshire’s lost time in the Championship this season stands at 48.375 hours – only Middlesex lost (just) over 50 hours last year.

Yesterday Katich & Bates posted Hampshire’s highest-ever 6th wicket stand in Yorkshire breaking the record by one of our most important partnerships by Peter Sainsbury and Dennis Baldry in 1961. Hampshire, though on the back foot were the first team in 1961 to prevent Yorkshire from winning. By September that was pretty significant. It won’t be quite as good this year but maybe … just maybe …

Update (3pm) 37 overs (2.3 hours) was lost and Bates made his maiden century before being run out. Hampshire look on-line for full batting points for the first time in 2012 but the forecast is poor.

Incidentally Bates & Katich shared a partnership of 170 which equalled Hampshire’s best 6th wicket stand v Yorkshire by Phil Mead and GC Harrison at Southampton in 1914.

Thanks to Peter Jeffs – I missed the Independent but maybe the stories were from Melly? Owning Up includes some nice illustrations by Wally Fawkes (‘Trog’) as above and Melly devotes a few pages to Frank Parr who joined in 1954 after his cricket career finished and because the Mulligan Band had been searching for some time for a trombonist. One observation of Melly:

“The professional cricketer is not just a man who plays cricket for money. He has a social role. He is expected to behave within certain defined limits. He can be a ‘rough diamond’ even a bit of a ‘character’ but he must know his place. If he smells of sweat it must be fresh sweat. He must dress neatly and acceptably. His drinking habits must be under control. He must know when to say ‘sir’.”

Well Frank didn’t fit the bill:

“He concealed a formidable and well-read intelligence behind a stylized oafishness. He used every weapon to alienate acceptance”

“His clothes were not just shabby or old – they were anti clothes”.

Apparently neither Mick Mulligan nor Frank bathed much “Mick … out of indolence, Frank because it made him smell”.

Frank ate a limited diet – fried breakfast or cold meat and salad: “any other food, soup for instance or cheese, came under the heading of “pretentious bollocks”.

“His music was aimed beyond his technique. Sometimes a very beautiful idea came off, more often you were aware of a beautiful idea that existed in Frank’s head”.

They don’t make them like that any more! (All quotes from Owning Up - 1965)

PS I’ve just realised the aforementioned obituary is on the web. Google Frank Parr or

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/frank-parr-lancashire-cricketer-and-trombonist-with-george-melly-7754259.html