Hampshire Cricket History

What an extraordinary day – at the end of which Hampshire took just one point more than Somerset but now stand third in the table. Apart from the rather odd victory against a weakened Yorkshire side, first match up, Hampshire have been stuffed by the sides standing first and second, and have had the better of their two games against the bottom two sides, winning two of three, plus tonight’s draw.

So it’s Surrey away next week, then just a month until the next game, and only another four weeks until the one after that.  Three more home games to come in the best part of three months – two against the current top two.

You guys are doing a fine job of keeping this Blog going, so here’s the final day of the current experiment which I guess – through bad luck – has been a bit of a damp squib.

I’m assuming incidentally that the 2nd XI were waterlogged?

I’m assuming play to be highly unlikely, today so here is part two.

The over before they went off yesterday took the total bowled in this match to 107

According to my records, that is one over more than the shortest, rain-affected match ever played at the Rose/Ageas Bowl which was

106 overs v Yorkshire in 2012

Next come

119.1 v Warwicks in 2001, 126 v Lancs in 2007, 136.1 v Sussex in 2007, 139.1 v Surrey in 2014, 154.2 v Leics in 2012 and 160 v Yorks in 2003

If there is a reasonable amount of play tomorrow – there might be some showers about – this game might pass all those. The shortest game ever played there in June however is 195.4 overs v Kent in 2008. If tomorrow dawdles to a draw that might be beaten, although there are still 91 overs of bonus points cricket to play.

The weather’s not promising is it – so a bit more to ‘chew on’:

With pink balls, the Ageas Bowl has so far produced the slowest scoring. Apart from Somerset, only Warwicks, still batting, are (slightly) slower than Hampshire:

Hants 2.39 per over v Somerset 2.26

Middx 4.15 v Essex 2.94

Lancs 3.39 v Warwicks 2.37* (but today ended on 2.41, so just faster than Hants)

Surrey 4.48 v Yorks 2.49

In Div Two, rates are generally faster: Worcs, Sussex & Gloucs are all in excess of four runs per over; Durham, Notts & Northants more than 3.5; Derbys & Kent three plus, leaving Leics 2.62 and Glams 2.53.

There is a good summary of day one here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/40408996

Not much evidence of bigger crowds except at Durham, and wickets falling only slightly more quickly

From Hampshire’s point-of-view, given that the toss indicated both sides wanting to bat, I’ve suggested it did not go quite according to plan. Does that seem right?

And for those of you who watched? How was it?

A separate post here, because this is terrific. Tigger has worked out in percentages the number of county days played and percentages across the lengthening seasons – I’m hoping it pastes clearly here. He says (and many thanks):

OK I’ll stop shouting now

I couldn’t make this ‘historic’ event even if I wished, as my car is out of action for the next two days, so I’m hoping for lots of thoughts and impressions of the Championship by night.

Some facts (not opinions) further to the comments at the end of the previous post

Over the 20 seasons since Udal (a success) made his debut in 1988, by my estimation, Hampshire have given first team debuts to the following players who might be considered ‘theirs’. I have not included various other players such as P Whitaker, S Renshaw, T Hansen or R Hindley who played first for Hampshire but were not ‘developed’ by them (there are others like this). None of those 32 players achieved full careers as county cricketers. A few were ‘capped’ and enjoyed some success – but none managed full careers in the sense of (say) Udal:

R Cox, J Wood, S Morris, D Flint, J Bovill, , R Dibden, J Laney, M Garaway, D Kenway, L Savident, S Francis, C van der Gucht, A Sexton, I Brunnschweiler, L Prittipaul, J Hamblin, J Schofield, J Francis, J Bruce, C Benham, TG Burrows, DA Griffiths, H Riazzuddin, M Stokes, D Briggs, M Bates, C Wood*, B Howell, S Terry, A Rouse, T Barber, J Goodwin

These five might be considered the successes: C Tremlett (2000), J Tomlinson (2002), J Adams (2002),  J Vince (2007), and L Dawson (2009). However, Tremlett’s full career required him to move to Surrey after losing favour as a regular; Tomlinson was an excellent Championship bowler but hardly played in white ball cricket, and Adams left Hampshire 2nd XI after two disappointing seasons, spent three years at Loughborough University and then returned, eventually establishing himself in the first team.

Probables: M Crane, L McManus. Crane was turned down by his native Sussex and Surrey and when he first came to Hampshire, his school coach Raj Maru insisted that Hampshire’s coaches did not interfere. I’ve no idea how long that lasted

Hopefuls: B Taylor, T Alsop, J Weatherley. *I suppose in theory Wood is still a Hopeful?

Opinion alert: It’s possible that I am alone in considering that’s a not a very impressive record. If we think that those 32 players simply were not good enough to begin with, then the fault presumably lies in the identification and selection of so-called promising players. Don’t forget, too, that this list does not include all those other youngsters who have been contracted over the years, without playing for the first team (like Duggan and McCoy released today). Presumably either we can’t pick them, or we can’t develop them?

Some people are leaving the pitch. They think it’s all over

It is now.

Nothing now, until Monday’s floodlit extravaganza, but space here to add your thoughts or start new threads etc.

I’ll be back

Today is my really busy day (12-12, two gigs and a book launch) so I’ll probably know nothing. Lots of Comments below from yesterday, so here’s a new ‘page’ for the next lot. Enjoy the sun!