Hampshire Cricket History

Has been postponed until 2021

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52235707

Plus (more – thanks Colin)

How overseas investment is poised to turn English (but not county) cricket into an imitation of the Premier League, with lots of foreign investors:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52491765

Following on ref overseas players, I’m very grateful to Stuart who has sent a fascinating piece by Josh Burrows & Scyld Berry in the Telegraph. It shows two graphs across the last three first-class seasons 2017-2019, recording Runs scored and Wickets taken by “non-English players”.

I hope the link works but in case not, here are the top three figures:

RUNS SCORED:   

Glamorgan 51%

Hampshire 39%

Durham 34%

WICKETS TAKEN:

Hampshire 74%

Glamorgan 63%

Essex 53%

(So, Glamorgan ‘beat’ us by 1%)

http://m.email3.telegraph.co.uk/nl/jsp/m.jsp?c=%40dN%2BLufEdR4cvyK6cK4PV%2FYbwCJ54MPvclZMNgvfDx3E%3D&WT.mc_id=e_DM1241766&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_Cri_New&utmsource=email&utm_medium=Edi_Cri_New20200429&utm_campaign=DM1241766

For these Times?

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/apr/28/comptons-cricket-summer-47-succour-nation-needs-now

And this interesting piece noted by Colin (thanks)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/52465031

On the matter of overseas players, I wonder how many Hampshire fans – especially those who were there – would have any regret about Kyle Abbott’s 17-88 in the last match at the Ageas Bowl? Not me for sure (and incidentally I still have copies of my booklet for sale!)

For 65 years Hampshire have always had overseas players – and some way before that. By 1970 one, Roy Marshall was captain, although he had slipped down the order, often batting next to Antiguan Danny Livingstone. The first match of the 1970 season, in the Parks, saw a Hampshire-born opening pair, and I wonder if you could name them? (Answer first Comment). One scored 138 the other just a single, and they were followed by Turner (Wiltshire), the two West Indians, Sainsbury (Southampton) and Jesty (Gosport). (When Kyle took all those wickets, there was not one Hampshire-born player in the side, and only half were born in England)

Hampshire declared on 363-6 (Marshall run out, 93), one of the wickets falling to Andrew Douglas-Home the nephew of the 1960s Prime Minister who had also played first-class cricket in the 1920s. The students were then dismissed for 157 by White (4-30), Cottam (2-44) and Sainsbury (3-40) plus one for John Holder, Hampshire’s third West Indian. There was a bit of rain about, so Hampshire batted again, declared on 59-1 and set 266 in 160 minutes. Holder took 3-28 but there was some resistance, and at 71-6 the game was drawn.

Hampshire then moved to Lord’s for a match v Middlesex, starting on 2 May and that same day this year should have seen one of our most loyal bloggers ( he has three names including being another DA!) celebrating the 50th anniversary of his first time watching Hampshire. It must be virtual now of course, but Happy Anniversary ‘Bloggy’ & …

It was not until the third game (away again) at Northampton that BA Richards arrived to resume opening the batting and he stayed for the season and beyond. But the man who scored 138 at Oxford had gone for ever before August, and a young chap from the West Indies, having qualified by residence, made his county debut. Overseas players? We’ve always had lots!

PS That photo? it’s not so much the car that intrigues me, it’s Bob Cottam padded up to practise batting. I hope the car worked more successfully!

Interesting idea from Michael Vaughan but the first bit here (I’m being selective) is somewhat odd, isn’t it? I would think “traditionalists” might be all for it:

“Traditionalists will go mad at this, but these are unprecedented times. In the next two years, could you look at not having overseas players for the four-day game?”

Some good news for some of us at least. I have received the proofs of the Hampshire Handbook and in this time of furloughs I’m helping with one or two last bits. I believe it will be made available on-line to members, and I think free of charge, but there will also be a small print run for sale. More news as I get it.

(Thanks to Colin for this alert)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52442801

Many thanks to Jeremy for alerting us to this from Vic Marks – and don’t miss his highly pertinent questions which I’ve reproduced below:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/apr/26/ecb-sticking-with-the-hundred-risks-twisting-cricket-further-into-chaos

QUESTIONS

Would the game be re-invented – and if so, how?

Would it be best if the structure as it is did collapse?

Why do those that OWN the ECB let it behave as it does?

Should a business, that specifically decided NOT to be a club, keep the money when it doesn’t provide the goods?

Wouldn’t it be nice if those that run the game remembered it’s supposed to be fun? (echoes of Gideon Haigh – do we make money in order to play, or do we…)

And is pondering these questions more interesting than watching a game being played in an empty stadium by people only interested in money?

I suppose we might conclude it’s not all bad news then …

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52412064

(From Colin, Evening Standard, thank you)

In terms of Hampshire’s history on the field, the start of 1969 on Sunday 27 April, was a game best forgotten – except that it was their first match in the brand new 40-over John Player Sunday League.

Hampshire had a very good year, finishing runners-up to Lancashire, and they started nicely at Canterbury with Derek Shackleton, effectively retired from the first-class game**, having the Kent opener Brian Luckhurst caught behind: 0-1. Alan Knott who also opened and Asif Iqbal then added 86, and although Peter Sainsbury applied a brake with 3-31, Stuart Leary scored 54* as Kent reached 211-6 – in those days a challenging limited-overs score. ‘Shack’ was most economical with 28 runs conceded from his eight, but ‘Butch’ White, one of the faster bowlers constrained in those days by the imposition of a limited run-up (12 yards?) conceded 64 runs.

Richards (12) went fairly early and disaster struck when Marshall on 26 was run out while awaiting the verdict on an LBW appeal. Danny Livingstone batting at number three reached 58, but five men went in single figures and wickets fell steadily: 44-2, 48-3 and from 117-5 they fell to 141 all out and defeat by 70 runs. Teams tended to believe back then that seam bowlers were the best bet, but following Sainsbury’s good spell, Derek Underwood took 4-26, supported by West Indian John Shepherd 3-19. The players incidentally wore white, and used a red ball.

**In early August, and with Richards, Gilliat, Sainsbury and White injured, ‘Shack’ was recalled for one match v Sussex at Portsmouth, around his 45th birthday. His figures were 23-10-37-2 and 24.5-11-58-5. Hampshire won by eight wickets and ‘Shack’ finished top of the averages again!

On the previous day, Manchester City beat Leicester City 1-0 at Wembley with Neil Young (soon to join Crosby, Stills & Nash) scoring the winner. While the hippies enjoyed that, the skinheads will have been delighted that Desmond Dekker topped the charts with “Israelites”. It’s not known which ‘Shack’ preferred. (Incidentally, to pick up the previous theme, the Manchester City side was all-English and only one FA Cup winning side since then has been the same, West Ham in 1975).