Hampshire Cricket History

You’ve probably seen this story about the signing of Glen Maxwell. Once upon a time we used to sign West Indians – we could field a full XI. It took until 1980 for the first Aussie, Shaun Graf, to arrive and the next, Matthew Hayden was a good while after that, but now we’ve had XI (plus) of them too including Warne, Katich, Watson, Clark, Clarke, Thorneley, Voges, Bichel, North – and the guy playing Scottish club cricket who came for two (away) limited overs games and I suspect never visited the county. I’ve even forgotten his name – I’ll check it later

Notts will arrive today with Michael Lumb. In recent years we had Logan and KP from them but I reckon that signing Mike Taylor in 1973 was the best deal ever. Can you think of any English county player who came to us having played first-class for another county who was a better signing for Hampshire? I think Carberry is poised to pull level but not until we win the Championship again – others include: Cannings, Fry, Gower, Bob Herman, Horton, James, Maru, Rice, Stephenson, Stevenson, Walker. Does Mullally count as one of these? He started with us, went off and came back.

In the past eight days Hampshire have played six days cricket without a single rain break, winning three matches. They have now a deserved three-day break before the day/night match v Notts on Thursday. Today’s win in Taunton was especially impressive.

They have three wins from three in the CB40. Last year the four qualifiers won 10, 9 (x2) and 8 of their 12 matches.

OK it wasn’t a tie – but here’s the moment when, for the first time in almost two years, Hampshire won a match at their headquarters – it’s Glamorgan’s last man Reed about to be caught at forward-short-leg by Vince off Kabir Ali. Hampshire won by 31 runs which Bob Murrell tells me is our narrowest victory on that ground. Well done Hampshire!

On arrival this morning I posted a sheet on the Members’ Board suggesting Hampshire v Glamorgan would end in a tie. At the end of the day I still hope for that result! It must be possible

There have been four tied Championship matches in Hampshire’s history:

1947         v LANCASHIRE at Bournemouth

1950         v KENT at Southampton

1955         v SUSSEX at Eastbourne

1967         v MIDDLESEX at Portsmouth

Hampshire’s captain Desmond Eagar played in the first three of these matches – the first man ever to play in three tied matches in England. Derek Shackleton played in the second, third and fourth matches.

The most ‘precise’ of the tied games was in May 1950:

Kent:          162 (Evans 71, Knott 4-49)

Hampshire: 180 (Walker 46, Wright 6-91)

Kent:          170 (Ames ‘retired’ 55, Knott 5-46)

Hampshire:         152 (Arnold 52, Shirreff 3-27)

Cannings and Knott added 21 for Hampshire’s 10^th wicket before Knott was caught by Fagg off Wright and the match tied

In the Portsmouth match in 1967, Bob Herman, son of ‘Lofty’ and a future Hampshire bowler took the final wicket, bowling Bob Cottam.

(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!