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Champions: Nottinghamshire, CB40: Warwickshire, T20: Hampshire
After more than 30 years, the first-class counties reverted to just three competitions and the two original limited-overs competitions were joined into the CB40 with three leagues, followed by semi-finals and a Lord’s Final, held on a Saturday evening – which was generally unpopular.
Mascarenhas was appointed captain again but he was injured in IPL pre-season and replaced variously by Pothas and Cork. There was a selection of players from overseas including H Herath, P Hughes, N McKenzie, D Christian, and A Razzaq. Cork was captain in the T20 which Hampshire won for first time with Finals Day at the Rose Bowl. The weather was not good but Hampshire beat Essex in the semi-final by six wickets and met Somerset in the Final after Duckworth/Lewis calculations resolved their match v Nottinghamshire. Somerset posted 173-6 (Cork 2-24) with their big hitter Pollard forced to retire hurt. Hampshire replied well and looked to be winning until two late wickets including McKenzie (52). Christian injured himself and required a runner for the last ball with Hampshire needing one to level the scores and take the cup. The runner, the non-striker and Christian all set off, Somerset fielded but failed to spot Christian’s indiscretion, he got home and Hampshire had won. Briggs’ 31 wickets was a record in one T20 season for Hampshire.
Hampshire struggled throughout in the Championship. Adams and Carberry passed 1,000 runs with Mckenzie, Ervine and Vince all performing well although Lumb was injured for much of the season. Tomlinson(46) and Cork (45) led the bowlers although with little support – Kabir Ali arrived from Worcestershire but struggled with fitness and played in only four matches. Another Test bowler, Simon Jones came on a match contract, seeking fitness. He played six T20 matches and one each in the CB40 and the Championship. Batting at number seven, Sean Ervine’s 237* v Somerset at the Rose Bowl was the highest ever score by a Hampshire batsman in the lower half of the batting order. Hampshire’s penultimate match was a ‘relegation-decider’ at Canterbury and they struggled on the first day, bowled out for 204 of which Adams made 84. However, Tomlinson 4-59 bowled them to a lead of 22 and four half-centuries allowed Hampshire to declare at 355-9. Kent lost wickets regularly, Cork and Briggs took four each and a fine catch by Adams sealed the victory and another year in Division One.
Jimmy Adams set a record of over 2,500 runs in the three competitions for the season. In May, Michael Lumb and Kevin Pietersen, both then of Hampshire played for England when they won the T20 World Cup in Barbados. However Pietersen found travelling from his London home to Hampshire too demanding and he moved to Surrey before the end of the season.
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Hampshire Cricket History 