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Champions: Durham, Knock-out Cup: Essex, Pro40 League: Sussex, T20: Middlesex
‘Dimi’ Mascarenhas was appointed captain, and in May became the first county cricketer to appear in the T20 Indian Premier League. Hampshire finished third again in the Championship but this was the result of a significant late improvement after they had lost four and drawn six of the first 11 matches. Even their one victory, in Durham, was by just four runs. Then Tomlinson and Tahir induced a second innings collapse by Yorkshire, Hampshire won as they did from three of their last four matches and they rose rapidly away from threatened relegation. By this time Giles White had replaced Paul Terry as Cricket Manager.
Hampshire’s first overseas player of 2008, Shane Bond, took 7-66 v Sussex at the Rose Bowl, the best ever figures for Hampshire on Championship debut. After he departed, Hampshire signed leg spinner Imran Tahir who equalled that innings record and his match figures of 12-189 were the best ever on Hampshire debut. Pothas dismissed 10 batsmen in the match v Durham at Chester-le-Street to equal the Hampshire record. On his only Championship appearance for Hampshire in five consecutive seasons, Kevin Pietersen scored a century v Somerset at Taunton. Pothas and Brown passed 900 runs but no one reached four figures. James Tomlinson’s 67 wickets were Hampshire’s highest for a first-class season since moving to the Rose Bowl and in seven matches, Imran Tahir took 44 at 16.68.
Hampshire played well in the Pro40 finishing runners-up to Sussex with two of their eight matches ending as No Result. They failed to qualify in the Friends Provident Trophy while Ian Harvey and Nantie Hayward played as overseas players in the T20 but Hampshire failed to qualify again and their 85 all out v Sussex, was their lowest T20 score at the Rose Bowl. T20 Finals Day was held at the Rose Bowl, and won by Middlesex including Shaun Udal and with Richard Scott as a coach. Michael Brown moved to Surrey but not before he captained Hampshire 2nd XI to their Trophy success, beating Essex by 7 runs. James Vince top-scored with 58 and Danny Briggs showed promise with 2-47.
On Saturday 13 September, a Hambledon XII met 12 men from Broadhalfpenny Down Association to mark the centenary of the only first-class match on the ground when the commemorative stone was unveiled. Hampshire cricketers Nic Pothas, Michael Brown, Derek Kenway, Will Kendall, John Stephenson, James Bruce, Ian Turner, Raj Maru appeared as did James Fry, the great-grandson of CB Fry and grandson/son of former Hampshire players. JRT Barclay captained the Broadhalfpenny Down side and in the evening there was a supper in the Bat & Ball Inn with musical entertainment arranged by David Rayvern Allen and a group of singers.
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Hampshire Cricket History 