Hampshire Cricket History

… of August then. It’s the first time since 1958 (when I was eight) that I’ve not seen a single day of county cricket. I anticipate future years to be much the same – I missed it a lot less than I anticipated.

How many? Gareth Berg that is

If you look at the first team squad on our website, I wonder how many others might have gone by the start of next year. It’s difficult to know precisely what counties will need next year, with a downgraded 50-over competition and the T20 taking second place to a non-county competition, but let’s imagine things are much the same and the priority is winning the Championship (I know, but just imagine …).

Here are some initial thoughts – all speculative (and I know nothing):

Definite selections or strong candidates: James Vince, Liam Dawson, Kyle Abbott, Fidel Edwards, Lewis McManus, Tom Alsop, Mason Crane, Ian Holland, Keith Barker, Aneurin Donald, James Fuller, Sam Northeast, Joe Weatherley

Promising futures: Harry Came, Felix Organ,

Elsewhere in next year’s annuals: Oli Soames, Brad Taylor, Ryan Stevenson, Brad Wheal

Internal Promotion: Tom Scriven + ?

Who knows? Rilee Rossouw seems not to want to play in the Championship and Chris Wood doesn’t any longer, but if there’s no serious 50-over competition will they get county contracts?

From 2003-2009 Hampshire were a pretty ordinary T20 side, with their best performances two losing quarter-finals in 2004 & 2009. Then from 2010-2015 they reached Finals Day every year, winning it twice in 2010 and 2012 and deserved their reputation as one of the best T20 sides.

But in the four years since then, 2016-2019, they have reached just that one Finals Day in 2017 after they stuffed Derbyshire in the quarter-final, but followed by a 23-run defeat v Notts in the Edgbaston semi-final. In fact they’ve not won a game at Finals Day since Cardiff in 2012 (seven seasons).

PS: Response to Jeremy ref ‘one-pointers’ in seasons when we qualified for the quarter-finals (there are no relevant ties)

2004: Played 6; Won 50%; Non-Results – none

2009: P 10; W 60%; NR – none

2010: P 16; W 50%; NR – none

2011: P 16; W 67%; NR – 3

2012: P 10; W 50%; NR – 3

2013: P 10; W 80%; NR – 1

2014: P 14; W 64% – NR – none

2015: P 14; W 56% – NR – none

2017: P 14; W 50% – NR – 1

If Hampshire win tonight, that will be six wins in 14 games. If they go through it will be the first time after winning fewer than 50% of their games. Previously they went through with exactly 50% in 2004 (3/6); 2010 (8/16); 2012 (5/10) and 2017 (7/14). Best was 80% in 2013 (8/10)

To repeat, we need either/both Middx to beat Somerset (but not too easily) and Essex to beat Kent. We have to win of course but we are playing a team that haven’t won once.

Glamorgan have passed their record score v Hampshire (181-7 in 2015). Now they are the first side in any of these (16) fixtures to reach 200. It ends on 216 as the second highest total ever v Hampshire! (Highest 220 by Somerset in 2010).

Speaking of Somerset, they’ve smashed Middlesex so if Hampshire win they have to hope that Essex can defend 189. At half-time, I’m not putting a penny on Hampshire qualifying!

Chris Wood conceded 67 – most ever in any Hampshire T20 match

Hants’ highest ever T20 chases: 207-6 but lost to Kent, & 205-4 to beat Sussex

PS I’m just hearing that we’ve signed Ben Stokes on loan for the rest of the evening

Sussex 19 points – v Gloucs (H) – QUALIFIED

Gloucs 16 – v Sussex (A) – QUALIFIED

Kent 14 v Essex (A) Max 16

Somerset 13 – v Middx (H) – Max 15

Hants 13 – v Glams (A) – Max 15

Middx 13 – v S’set (A) – Max 15

Essex 13 – v Kent (A) – Max 15

The four teams on 13 points are in run-rate order – Somerset are considerably the best, so a tight win for Middx and an easy win for Hampshire tomorrow would see them top of that sub-group of four, and possibly ahead of tonight’s losers Kent at Canterbury.

BEST SCENARIO: Hampshire win! Middlesex beat Somerset and Essex beat Kent both narrowly. Hampshire finish third (Kent don’t qualify).

WORST SCENARIO: Kent beat Essex and Somerset beat Middlesex. Even if Hampshire win they finish fifth.

Hampshire must win, Middlesex don’t have to but it would help them. Kent in the field v Gloucs; Essex batting v Surrey (who have outsider hopes). Middlesex have begun well (21-0).

I’ll check the run-rate details later:

16.11.4 The tie-breakers for teams finishing on equal points will be:

16.11.4.1 The team with the higher net run rate in the Group Matches will be placed in the higher position (see below). In the event that teams cannot be separated by 16.11.4.1 above, this will be done by drawing lots.

9 OVERS: Middlesex 69-3 almost level pegging with Essex (v Surrey)

Into the second innings now and it looks like four teams will be on 13 points tomorrow – Somerset by far best run-rate, then Hampshire with Middx close, and Essex poorest.

Somerset v Middx tomorrow, so one of them will finish on 15 points.

Above them, Sussex are top and one of Kent or Gloucs will be on 16, but the other one stuck on 14. It means the losers at Canterbury could miss qualification.

Hampshire winning and it is the highest aggregate at the Ageas Bowl in 2019.

Middle that is – Day Three of the 2nd XI game, and then tonight the T20 match. I’m trying to maintain my excitement about that despite, as you know, not being that excited. I’ll try to be informative at least as the evening unfolds. Simply, tonight – and assuming no ties or abandonments:

Essex or Surrey will be out of it

So too Hampshire, if they lose

Gloucs v Kent: one of them will end with a maximum of just 16 possible points, but that’s still one more than Hampshire can get with two wins.

PS: What’s the worst that could happen? Westminster? Hampshire losing – or the bloody Carabao Cup draw?

12.30: Middlesex are 100 ahead with five down – Robson got a hundred, Barker has 3-38, one run out and one for Organ. There are two Curries bowling on the Hampshire menu.

Lunch: 211-6; Middlesex 110 ahead (second wicket for Organ).

2.45: Middx 294-6, so 193 ahead.

5pm: 421-9, so 320 ahead. Barker has 5-78 but Stevenson 0-56 in nine overs (after 0-47 in 12 in the first innings). Khanna, five wickets in the first innings has 0-84 in 20 overs; Organ 2-74.

Close: 471 all out so 371 to win. Hampshire 33-1 (Soames 0, Organ 23*)

Tom Alsop is going well, 87* at lunch, which came sadly when Harry Came was dismissed third ball for a ‘duck’. Ollie Soames made 79. Hampshire 2nd XI 177-3 (Middx 224)

2.15: Middleton also went cheaply but Alsop has his century. He went eventually for 140 – exactly half the total with eight down now and a lead approaching 60. Barker starred later in the day:

Close: Middx 224 & 89-3 (Barker 2-28); Hampshire 325 (Barker 47)

All the remaining Southern matches are on Thursday and Friday when the forecast seems OK, so matches should be won/lost – or tied. Surrey have beaten Somerset tonight, so that every side except Glamorgan can still qualify from the south (Sussex already through). That means there are a number of ‘four-pointers’, which can help Hampshire.

Matches in italics on Thursday, others on Friday:

Sussex 19 – v Gloucs (H) – Max 21

Gloucs 14 – v Kent (A) v Sussex (A) – Max 18

Kent 14 – v Gloucs (H) v Essex (A) Max 18

Somerset 13 – v Middx (H) – Max 15

Middx 13 – v Hants (A) v S’set (A) – Max 17

Surrey 12 – v Essex (H) – Max 14

Hants 11 – v Middx (H) v Glams (A) – Max 15

Essex 11 – v Surrey (A), v Kent (A) – Max 15

Glams 5 – v Hants (H)

Somerset have gone off at a pace v Surrey tonight. If they win, they’ll have 15 points and a significantly better run-rate than Hampshire, who can only finish on 15 points.

All the doors and windows are open here in tropical Southsea. Meanwhile they’re off for heavy rain (under floodlights) in Durham (v a city side). Somerset 80-0 from eight overs.

PS At which point ‘Hampshire’s’ Imran Tahir took 4-25 and Somerset lost six for 34.

(Jeff Evans has always seemed to me to be a ‘not out’ umpire and the TV just showed him turning down an absolutely plumb lbw shout from Jetan Patel).