Hampshire Cricket History

Not just at the Ageas Bowl but at Derby and Canterbury too – although the word interesting can hide a multitude of sins. Hampshire made a good start and their two spinners brought them back into the game with a long, tight spell, but honours are just about even, the forecast tomorrow is no longer as promising and the star was without doubt Leicestershire’s Angus Robson who scored his first Championship century. Here we see O’Brien score to get Robson (97*) on strike, he lifts the ball over gully to reach the century and acknowledges the applause. 

There are four weeks of Championship cricket left with a good forecast tomorrow and next week at least (after a lousy August). Hampshire play in weeks one, three and four.

Two years ago in the Handbook I described the season as a double delight, not only on the pitch (two trophies) but because of the deals with Ageas and Eastleigh that brought some financial stability. Last year I used the phrase ‘semi satisfactory’ as we reached but lost two semi finals and for the second year finished fourth in the Championship.

This year after our failures in the penultimate round of the T20 and pretty much throughout the new 50 over competition, everything hinges on the next month. Promotion and the main target will have been met, anything less and this will be a poor season – especially as they are currently in one of the two promotion slots and can go up without necessarily worrying about anyone else. It’s also the case that their nearest challengers Worcs, Surrey and Essex all have one or two meetings to come. Could Hampshire still win Div Two (which they’ve never managed yet)?

The team tomorrow seems likely to be unchanged with only Basil Akram added to the eleven from Canterbury.

Talking of Canterbury, congratulations to David Griffiths who waited a long time for his chance and did well yesterday in Kent’s quarter final win over Gloucs. Now they are off to Edgbaston and he will have fond memories of playing them in what I guess was his best-ever match, at Lord’s two years ago. He was going to play for Portsmouth & Southsea today but I doubt whether that will happen now!

I wanted to post something new about Hampshire’s team for Sunday (same again) and David Griffiths playing for Kent in today’s semifinal but there is currently a problem with the technology at WordPress so I’m unable to put up any new posts. I hope it will clear soon. I think you can still Comment here.

I agree with James entirely – he’s been a terrific signing. His figures this year with just three Championship matches to go:

Championship: 955 runs at 50.26 (HS 151*), 3 wickets at 29.00 (and kept wicket at Bristol in an emergency!)

Nat West T20: 179 runs at 22.38 (HS 37), 20 wickets at 19.75 (BB 3-15), economy 6.93

Royal L 50 overs: 243 runs at 40.50 (HS 59), 3 wickets at 41.66, economy 5.43

Hampshire’s other imports (from other counties) who have played this year: Carberry, Coles, Gatting, Wheater, plus Shah in the T20.

It’s going to rain this evening, but by Sunday the forecast is very good – and improving. That being the case, there’s plenty of time for Hampshire to beat the bottom side Leicestershire. Let’s hope they can manage it. It’s their game in hand over Surrey and a full points win would put them 32 points ahead with just two games left – that’s a considerable lead. Meanwhile Essex, who may be the bigger threat, don’t get the advantage of a sunny week as they are not playing until 9 September. Worcestershire are away at Derby and Kent meet Glamorgan.

With three games to go, Will Smith (955), Jimmy Adams (851) and Michael Carberry (737) may get past 1,000 runs for the season – oddly Jimmy still has not reached a century. James Tomlinson has 37 wickets, one more than Abbott, so may get to 50 wickets, otherwise only Coles (26) and Briggs (25) have reached 20 – and perhaps Briggs won’t play if Imran Tahir arrives(?). However, Briggs and Abbott were the only Hampshire bowlers to have taken five wickets in an innings until Chris Wood in the last match at Canterbury – and no one has yet taken six.

In our generally poor 50 over competition Adams (258 runs) and Smith (243) top scored and topped the averages. Tomlinson and Coles led the wicket-takers with nine each but conceded at more than six runs per over whereas Smith, Dawson, Briggs and Wood went at less than six. Mind you, if Hampshire were disappointing, that’s nothing by comparison with the England performance I watched (on TV) today!

for Essex and Kent to win their quarter finals this week and become preoccupied with that competition, rather as we did two years ago.

I note some comments about KP failing for Surrey on Saturday. No surprise for Hampshire fans. In three appearances in semis and finals (2005 & 2008) he was out three times for a total of less than 30 runs. Big match temperament? Maybe.

I know, he’s already at Hampshire

But I’m talking about Andre Adams of Notts (& NZ) who will be 40 next year and announced at the start of the season that this would be his last year in first-class cricket.

Except, there’s a story in today’s Pompey News that he may be coming to Hampshire. 

Honestly – there really is.

If Lancashire lose the Final it will be the first time a major English County Competition has been won by a non-county side. I think they should be sent to Coventry.

It’s often seemed to me that D/L works quite well over 40+ overs but nearly always favours the side batting second in T20. If I’m right, then Hampshire’s display today was even more abject than it appeared to be. If I’m not it was still pretty poor – Smith (ball) and Adams (bat) excepted. I wonder whether the poverty of Thursday’s performance rebounded on them – and in that respect I think I’ve finally tired of describing Coles as a good cricketer not quite playing to his potential. He’s had the occasional good day but it seems to me that the impressive triallist of 12 months ago is too often a great disappointment.

I have a confession too. I was invited to a free day with hospitaility today – a generous gesture from the club as a thank you for working as the Archivist. I don’t need thanks because it’s such fun, but I declined it. Why? Because I’ve been to Edgbaston before, where it’s always rained and we’ve always lost the first match after which I complete the second half of a 5/6 hour drive without bothering to watch the Final. Last year was enough for me (especially as I dislike all the noise and fuss at T20 games). I’m very glad I made the decision I did!

I’m still hoping for promotion which has always been my priority this year, but this Hampshire side is worryingly inconsistent. Would the current side survive in Div One? I’m not sure.

I understand that Will Smith will be fit and that Owais Shah is in the squad

I know nothing officially, but it seems the bowlers will be Coles, Wood, Ervine, Dawson, Briggs and Smith. With two games to play they must be taking at least one reserve paceman but who would that be? Maybe Tomlinson?

Wheater will keep wicket and the (non-bowling) batters are  Carberry, Vince, Adams and Shah. Terry will go in reserve I guess and they may take Bates ‘in case’.

I gather a bloke called Andrew is in the Lancashire squad. 

PS The final England Under19 ODI is on Sky Sports today from 2pm – I assume Alsop and Taylor will be playing

Sorry couldn’t resist (having got the picture)

Basil Akram b Adil Rashid 1

PS: Hampshire faulty too – I’ve just noticed we finished last, just below Lancs. A third T20 Finals day team Surrey were last in their group. Birmingham don’t play 50 over cricket so there’s an interesting difference between high achievers in the short form and the longer limited overs stuff this year.