Hampshire Cricket History

England have made James Vince available to play in Hampshire’s next two T20 matches on Thursday and Friday. There has not yet been an announcement as to whether he will captain the side.

Last year Hampshire and Kent won one match each, with Vince scoring 66 at the Ageas Bowl and 99* at Canterbury.

Incidentally on Thursday there is also a 2nd XI T20 match v Combined Services at the Ageas Bowl which will presumably kick off somewhat earlier.

Northwood might be bloody awful but it really is only a game. Many of you will have noticed that we have reached the centenary of the naval Battle of Jutland which took place on 31 May & 1 June 1916

In that battle HMS Defence was blown out of the water and among the casualties that day was the Naval Officer, Cecil Halliday Abercrombie – as it happens, the most significant cricketer to die in that horrific encounter.

Abercromble was a regular naval officer seen above in uniform and (5th from left) as a member of the Hampshire side that played Gloucestershire at Bournemouth at the end of the 1913 season – it would be his final match for the county and he scored 65 in a victory. During his naval career he was stationed at Portsmouth and played also for the Royal Navy, United Services Portsmouth and for Lymington. He was also a Scottish rugby international, winning six caps.

If you have a Playfair Annual – any year – you can find him there still as the holder, with George Brown, of Hampshire’s record 7th wicket partnership, 325 v Essex at Leyton. They saved Hampshire from an innings defeat and during the course of that stand Abercrombie scored one of his three centuries for the county – there was also one against Worcestershire and on debut one against Oxford University. It would be particularly appropriate if over the next two days, two Hampshire players mounted perhaps 324 to save the current game. But if they don’t, at least the players in our current side can look forward to another season of cricket and hopefully a long and happy life. With the situation in Europe worsening, Abercrombie was called back to regular service in 1914 and never played for Hampshire again.

Abercrombie’s name is on our Honours Board in the Atrium and on a plaque outside the Memorial Gates of Scotland’s Murrayfield Stadium. Author and historian Peter Jones has written about him in the current Hampshire Handbook.

I hope (very optimistically) that Hampshire get out of this with a wonderful 2nd innings batting display – but I hope it’s not simply as a consequence of bad weather because they don’t deserve that.

PS Thriller at Taunton, Somerset won by one wicket so I think Surrey remain at the foot of the table whatever happens at Northwood

Hampshire celebrate a wicket. By 12.15pm on the second morning, there has been one wicket in the past 107 overs and not one in the past 37 …

(Middlesex declared, so three was the final tally)

It’s similar in the Test Match, so James Vince might get another bat …

The new boy, Joe Weatherley – probably a first Championship innings today. This was shortly after a novelty – a real toss with both sides wanting to bat first.

Middlesex won that and at 11.30 were wondering whether it was worth it. By the evening, in brighter (but still cold) weather they were sure – here Simpson drives past Adams with Weatherley and Wheater watching:

Incidentally I never did spot anyone buying an ice cream! Below: Malan departs after a fine innings – Hampshire’s only success from 11.30-6.30

A few more photos this morning – here’s the Players’ Pavilion

In the early morning gloom, and (below) as pretty as a picture (the pavilion that is, not the players)

And here’s one from adjacent to that position, watching Dawson bowl, late afternoon, with the school in the background

BBC online this evening:

“The visitors could take few positives from their performance, but they will remain hopeful of salvaging a draw from the game, with poor weather forecast for Tuesday’s third day.”

Today reminded me somewhat of my earliest years as a Hampshire supporter when we would play Kent at Southampton at Whitsun. My first ever visit to that ground was in 1960 when Colin Cowdrey scored 131, in 1961 he scored 104 & 67 and in 1962, 69 & 76. This year it’s Malan!

One of those days that sorts out the real fans!

(This is Kevan’s tent, doubling as a windbrake)

While inside Kevin Hand (BBC London) and Nick Gubbins (Middlesex) are on air while our Kevan files a report.

The view from inside:

This says it all really. It was bloody freezing unless you could get out of the wind (not simple) and into the occasional sun, that did not arrive until this afternoon

And the cricket? Preferably out of focus and in the distance.

And off to school, the teacher is teaching the Golden Rule” (Berry C, 1957)

Or maybe not today.

I’ll stick anything relevant, gleaned during the day, on here – photos tonight.