Hampshire Cricket History

England’s Performance squad are playing Queensland 2nd XI. James Vince scored 23 & 26, Danny Briggs 12* and 1-10. I can’t find a day three scorecard yet but it seems from reports that Briggs took three more fairly cheap wickets in the second innings. The most important news is that Tim Bresnan had a good all-round match so it may be that Chris Tremlett’s place is in danger for the second Test

This has just been launched. As one of the historians I’m delighted with the reference to 1863 and also to the news that we have stopped being Hawks or Royals and we are reverting to Hampshire. Hooray!

150 NOT OUT: HAMPSHIRE CRICKET 1863-2013

by Dave Allen & Stephen Saunders, published by Hampshire Cricket

Dave Allen’s Pompey ‘launch’ party

Blackwell’s University Bookshop, Cambridge Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2EF

023 9283 2813

3.30pm on Tuesday 3 December 2013 

The fixtures are out. From the historians point-of-view I’m delighted that we have six out of seven days at home in the week that we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first HCCC match (v Sussex on 7 July 1864)

Full info and list on Hampshire’s website: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/14293d4b8bebc487

We are sorry to note the death of Peter Faulkner after a long illness. Peter was a prominent businessman in east Hampshire and the leading figure in establishing Waterlooville FC as a top local non-league side before its amalgamation with Havant FC.

He was also a good cricketer who played a number of times in Hampshire’s Club & Ground side and as far as we are able to establish, twice in the recently formed 2^nd XI Competition. Against Kent at Greenwich in 1961 he scored 6 & 21 – in the latter dismissed by promising slow-left-armer Brian Luckhurst – as Kent won by 6 wickets. In his second match v Sussex at Arundel he took part in a thrilling finish. 2^nd XI matches were two-day affairs and Sussex declared on 180-7 (Cottam 3-29) while only John Shippey (63) showed much resistance as Hampshire were bowled out 37 behind.

Sussex declared again on 199-9 (Cottam 4-79) and set Hampshire 237 to win. Bernard Harrison led the way with 87, well supported by Dennis Baldry (72) but at 173-6, Hampshire were struggling until Peter Faulkner held the bottom order together to reach 230-7. But as the Hampshire Handbook (1962) records “unfortunately none of the tail-enders supported the gallant Faulkner” and he remained 18* as three wickets fell for one run and the match was lost by just five runs.

Peter Faulkner remained an active sportsman until, in April 1969, he was on a sporting tour of Germany when the minibus crashed and he and his pal Mike Barnard suffered terrible injuries. Peter lost a leg in that accident despite which he still played the occasional game of cricket. We extend our sympathy to his family and friends.

The photograph above is not from either of the two 2nd XI Championship matches but is from the early 1960s – perhaps a Club & Ground match?

Back l-r: FP Faulkner, RG Caple, B Robbins, LJ Shippey, M Green, AT Castell

Front l-r: BSV Timms, DO Baldry, AG Holt, BRS Harrison, AR Wassell

(I believe M Green is correct but not entirely sure – it may be R Hughes)

Jonathan Trott – not just number three in the order but the third England cricketer to leave a tour with a stress-related illness

I have nothing but sympathy. About 15 years ago I was made redundant shortly after taking on a new mortgage. After six months of anxiety and on the verge of leaving my post, HR found me a new position at the University, taking on a recently created course which was in some chaos after those running the course walked away from too many frustrations. I didn’t care much because it was a lifeline but a couple of years later I had a brief period off work with a similar condition. It wasn’t a neurosis or a nervous breakdown, I was just wiped out – and possibly too old then to keep on top of so many new challenges.

It was a horrible experience – fortunately I got back to work reasonably quickly, found a new post a couple of years after that and enjoyed my last few years of full time work. Now I just do things part-time I find it hard to imagine that younger version of me that was in such a state – but like Trescothick, Yardy and Trott I had stopped functioning properly, I was not much use to people, many of whom depended upon me.

So I’m sorry to hear Trott’s story and I hope he will recover and at the very least enjoy a few more years of first-class cricket as it seems Trescothick and Yardy have done

But I think it’s time for those in charge of cricket to ask whether, in this high profile media saturated world, too much is being asked of young men who live their lives constantly under the spotlight. Would the world be a whole lot worse if we played just five Ashes Tests in 12 months and maybe fewer 50-over/20 over slogathons?

is that despite his ‘duck’, Carberry’s place must be secure after that display!

There is an interesting situation developing which is that a pretty good England side is getting old and will need replacements soon BUT WHERE WILL THEY COME FROM? Michael Carberry is the only batsman in the team educated in an English state school and probably the last British-born black kid off the block – whereas two of them (plus Matt Prior and Ballance in reserve) are South Africans. If you look at Hampshire’s pretty well-run youth sides almost every age group is stuffed full of private school kids from the suburbs and rural areas. Lots of people like dressing up and getting pissed at the BIG games but in terms of serious participation, cricket is now a minority sport. There are hardly lots of county cricketers pressing for a place and I would suggest no obvious successor to Swann anywhere.

Still at least we do OK at other sports – no, wait a minute: England rugby union v the All Blacks. England football v Chile and Germany, England rugby league semi final yesterday. Still at least those of you from Southampton have something to cheer (and Aldershot)! I’m from Pompey …

I went to bed with Carberry looking good on about 35*.

All the commentators have been saying for two days what a belter the pitch is, yet not one specialist batsman reached 50 in either first innings.

Heard a stat on Sky this morning: in England’s last five Test series (2012 & 2013) they have failed to reach 200 in each of their five first innings

I have a variety of reasons for suspecting that interviews have been held this week for the new 1st XI Coach. I have absolutely no further information but (assuming they were successful interviews) imagine an announcement may emerge soon. I think the fixtures will be out soon as well – I can confirm (as requested) a home game in early July to coincide exactly with the 150th anniversary of our first-ever match as Hampshire County Cricket Club.

Former Hampshire player (Hah!) Kevin Pietersen is the finest ever England cricketer – better than Grace, Hammond, Sutcliffe, Rhodes, Hobbs, Botham, May, Trueman and so on

Who says so? Steve Harmison on today’s BBC website.

Must be true then – or maybe as accurate as that famous first ball?