Hampshire Cricket History

I have spent the day at the Ageas Bowl. There’s a buzz about the place with some good pre-season form, a strong squad with competition for places and the news that a company loyal to Hampshire Cricket for some time has taken on the Hotel building.

During the day, the T20 cricket was on TV in the Atrium. I was too busy to watch the whole England game but I saw bits and pieces. I guess England were rubbish (?) but I’m so full of the joys of spring and the pre-season I find it difficult to be over bothered. Given the clashing schedules, I’m more likely to watch county cricket over the final stages but I hope Imran Tahir continues to have a great series.

I feel a bit sorry for Richard Hobson who wrote in this morning’s Times

“Expectations were so low … that for England to return home without further embarrassment … is a cause for quiet relief … they did at least provide the odd reason to cheer before being eliminated”.

Well yes Richard – but what will you say tomorrow?

The Hambledon Club (not the Hambledon Cricket Club) met for lunch yesterday as it does at the start and end of each cricket season. About 60 cricket fans and historians attend each time and we have a guest speaker – yesterday Mike Griffith the recent past President of MCC and former captain of Sussex. It’s always a delightful occasion, held at the Bat & Ball with Broadhalfpenny Down across the road. As my friend Andrew Renshaw remarked it’s a perfect way to start a new season and we’ve been doing it since 1998 (having revived the Club of the 18th century). Stephen Saunders was present (he’s the Treasurer) and had with him his new limited edition publication about the Hampshire Committee of 1864 which will be available at Tuesday’s AGM.

And I must nip out for a haircut – have to look smart for the new season, but I’m watching a man described by the commentator as a “free spirit”, Glenn Maxwell whose current strike rate is 230 (23* from 210 balls). We’ve already seen Watson come and go and Bailey’s at the other end so it’s a Hampshire morning and it seems that whichever side loses is likely to go out (it will be a second defeat)

PS: Apologies for error and well spotted James (Comment) – it should have read 23* from 10 balls of course but I thought I’d leave it. If asked, I tend to describe my batting as like Tavaré without the shots

Alan Rayment – decades before Ramprakash or Gough

Two England players, one footballer and a Hampshire captain. Can you name them, and do you know what the match might be?

England’s performance in the field warrants nothing but a Sun-type headline. Their catching is appalling and it looks like a very one-sided contest.

I should add that the umpiring has been similarly ‘influential’ with a quite dreadful decision, not despite TV replays but because of their availability (incidentally, I posted this after 15 overs of the Sri Lanka innings which over the 20 overs took two hours to bowl!).

PS: Well that’s the end of another cliché then – catches win matches? Hah! England dropped four and had a perfectly good one turned down – five in 20 overs – and it didn’t matter. It was a record run-chase (from 0-2) because Sri Lanka had never lost defending 160 before. If they learn to catch, they might win the tournament!

It struck me too that the expensive Mendis almost counts as a Hampshire player – we signed him a few years back with a fanfare of publicity. But he never came.

On his 35th birthday, Imran Tahir, Man-of-the-Match, dragged South Africa to victory against a much improved Dutch side although the close result did little for the winners’ run rate. They changed their pace attack but no sign of Mr Abbott – I’m not entirely sure he’s in that squad as I’ve not seen him on their bench. I’m unsure too whether Herath is with Sri Lanka who are about to play England but Mr Tahir is currently the best Hampshire player in the series.

I posted an earlier version of this a couple of years ago

English Domestic T20 Champions over past four years:

2010: Hampshire, 2011: Leicestershire, 2012: Hampshire, 2013: Northamptonshire

Number of players from those sides in the current England T20 squad?

A group of us visited Hilliers Gardens in Romsey today to discuss various collaborative projects as it is 150 years since Hampshire County Cricket Club’s first match and 150 years since the first Hilliers shop opened in Winchester. Below, Tim Tremlett discusses playing cricket on their grass with Hilliers’ boss Wolfgang (who is from Germany and confesses he’s not too clear about cricket).

I was at the ground today and for the first time in 2014 I saw players leaving the field for the rain – on this occasion, the Hampshire players at practice

PS : British Summers are likely to be hotter and drier, but washouts are still on the cards, says the UK Met Office. (BBC News today)