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There is an article in today’s Cricket Paper suggesting there is a “faint whiff of optimism” that Hampshire will win the Championship this season after a wait of 46 years. The article is built around an interview with Members’ Chairman Neil Trestrail who suggests that “it’s the opening attack that makes you think we have a real chance”.
It got me thinking about a comparison between this team and our two Champions, both of which I saw, albeit the first one as an 11-year-old, although most of those players were still around a few years later. Here’s what I think – bearing in mind that in 1961 we used 16 men in 32 games, of which two (BRS Harrison, and BSV Timms) played in few games, while in 1973 (20 games) we used just 12 plus occasional reserve Andy Murtagh. In the first five games of this year we’ve already used 18 players.
1961; 1973; 2019
Best openers: 1. Richards & Greenidge; 2. Marshall & Gray*; 3. Weatherley & Soames
Best nos. Three & Four: 1. Vince & Northeast; 2= Turner & Gilliat/Horton & Livingstone
Best SLA/All-Rounder: 1= Sainsbury (1961 & 1973)/Dawson
Best No 5/6 Batsman: 1. Jesty*; 2= Rossouw/ I-Mackenzie/Barnard/Baldry
Best ‘Keeper’/Batsman: 1. Alsop*; 2. Stephenson; 3. Harrison
Best Seamer/All-Rounder: 1. Taylor; 2. Barker/Holland/Berg/Fuller; (1961: Gray*)
Best Opening Attack: 1. Shackleton & White; 2. Abbott & Edwards; 3. Herman & Mottram
Best Second Spinner: 1. O’Sullivan; 2. Burden/Wassell; 3. Crane
Best Captain: 1. Gilliat; 2. Ingleby-Mackenzie; 3. Vince/Northeast
*Alsop ahead as a batsman. Jesty and Gray also bowled seamers but counted already as batsmen. The list of four seam-bowling all-rounders in 2019, complicates comparisons and suggests changes in the structure and balance of the main side over the years.
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Hampshire Cricket History 
I fear our batting will not prove strong enough for us to become champions particularly if we are without Vince too often even though we currently have more batting points than anyone else (albeit having played a game more than most).
Comment by James May 31, 2019 @ 4:44 pmI wouldn’t be quite so gloomy. We are only 1 batting point less than the whole of last season in 9 matches fewer. And while Vince has done very well in the one day matches he has yet to perform in the championship, all be it he has only played 2 matches. Sam Northeast is the leading scorer in div 1 with an average over 70 and several of our other players average over 40.
Comment by Bob Murrell May 31, 2019 @ 8:20 pmI hope you are right Bob!
Comment by James June 1, 2019 @ 10:43 amI see Bob is challenging me for the voice of positivity 😊
I’m really happy to be sitting pretty at the top of the table despite losing the services of Vince & Dawson. This season is proving to be a team effort & an average of 3 batting points per match is a massive turn around on the last two seasons.
Sam Northeast is showing what he can do when fully fit & is a specialist when it comes to winning tosses 🤣
Definitely a season of reasons to be cheerful……so join Bob & I on the happy bench & enjoy supporting this team 😊🏏
Comment by joster69 June 1, 2019 @ 11:49 amCan I ask an ignorant question? Are Vince and Dawson away until July even if they don’t play any matches in the World Cup? It would seem to be bad for Hampshire but also bad from several points of view for them.
Comment by andrew May 31, 2019 @ 6:34 pmGiven that as soon as the squad was announced both Vince and Dawson were not available for Hampshire, Dawson being withdrawn mid-match, I suspect we will not see them until after the World Cup has finished, which means that they will not play a home championship match until September.
Comment by Bob Murrell May 31, 2019 @ 8:11 pmI don’t know for sure but I think Bob is correct (and Bairstow might keep getting ‘ducks’!) It’s a shame for us, but we’ve been outplayed twice by Yorkshire who were without Bairstow and Rashid for both games, Willey for the first, and Root for the last one.
Comment by pompeypop May 31, 2019 @ 8:50 pmAnd we won’t see Dawson again at home in the Championship if he is selected for the Caribbean T20 starting at the end of August.
And possibly not again ever if the talk of him wanting a white ball only contract is correct.
Comment by James June 1, 2019 @ 10:46 amIncidentally I didn’t make it quite clear that I put Jesty ahead of Rilee because of his bowling. In 1973 his Championship batting alone was not that effective.
Comment by pompeypop May 31, 2019 @ 8:52 pmIs there any more news/comment etc on what you posted here
https://hampshirecrickethistory.wordpress.com/2019/05/15/rilee-red-ball-white-ball/#comments
… namely the idea that somebody thinks it’s fine that people should play for us only when they can’t make more money playing for somebody else?
Comment by Jeremy June 1, 2019 @ 6:54 am