Hampshire Cricket History

Just now … (BBC) “Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden says, competitive sport will be allowed behind closed doors in England from 1 June, paving the way for the first live action in almost three months …”

Horse Racing ‘kicks off’ on Monday apparently

So, why did cricket decide to delay county cricket until 1 August just a couple of days ago? And will the ECB stick to that?

(Thanks to Colin – Evening Standard, Thursday)

Is this simply a solution for 2020 or the model for changes (i.e. reductions) that might become permanent?

From today’s BBC site

“England have named 14 uncapped players in a group of 55 that have been asked to return to training in preparation for a revamped international summer. Reece Topley, who has not played for England in four years after a long struggle with injury, is also included. England are likely to need to separate Test and limited-overs squads to cope with a congested schedule, though players are yet to be separated.

Friday’s expected announcement on the new schedule has been delayed.

The three Hampshire players are Mason Crane, Liam Dawson and James Vince (but not Sam Northeast)

PS Is this the best definition ever of Sod’s Law?:

“The UK has experienced its sunniest spring since records began in 1929, the Met Office has said. It is also set to be the driest May on record for some parts of UK, including the driest in England for 124 years”. (BBC)

And how much cricket?

No surprise – the start of Rod Bransgrove’s message today to Members:

“Today, the ECB have announced that the domestic cricket season will be further postponed until 1st August”.

We did not know it at the start of the season but this was to be the end of a great era under the captaincy of Richard Gilliat. His side won three trophies in six years, deserved a fourth and might have had one or two more – or at least a first Lord’s Final. By the end of 1978 they had won their second Sunday League in a thrilling conclusion to the season but they did so without Richards and Roberts who departed mid-way and Gilliat had also gone before the start of 1979.

It all began rather quietly, the first Championship match should have started on 5 May at Lord’s but all three days were washed out as was the first B&H fixture against another county, Somerset at Southampton, four days earlier. They had managed to get their competitive season underway however, meeting and beating a Combined Universities side in the same competition on 22 April at Cambridge – the earliest ever start in Hampshire’s history. The students fielded a decent side, including Paul Parker, Vic Marks, Ian Greig, Aistair Hignell (captain) and Nigel Popplewell, who played for Hampshire 2nd XI before joining Somerset.

Hampshire batted first and Richards (49), Greenidge (61) and Turner (80*) took them to 236-5 from their 55 overs – Popplewell 11-1-31-2. Paul Parker top-scored for the Universities with 33, but their innings never got going – they were quickly 29-3, then 52-5 and eventually 91 all out in the 47th over. Young Tim Tremlett returned figures of 11-3-21-3 and there were two wickets each for Taylor, Cowley and Rice. Godfrey Evans presented David Turner with the Gold Award – and the smokers will have taken home free samples. Hampshire won only one more match in the competition and failed to reach the quarter-finals. Barry Richards incidentally stayed long enough in 1978 to have appeared in every B&H match for Hampshire to that date.

While Hampshire were in Cambridge the Bee Gees topped the charts with “Night Fever”. On the first Saturday in May Ipswich Town surprised Arsenal, winning the FA Cup Final 1-0 – a rare victory for a minor county!

Pre-season squad minus the West Indians. Can you name them all?

(Twitter that is).

I didn’t realise that posting that Twitter link would activate it here – so, in case you missed it, look for Historic Sporting Pictures (I’ve removed the direct link)

(Alex Harvey)

Thanks to Terry for the ‘ALERT’

County cricket and COVID-19: the next steps, according to Rod Bransgrove

https://www.thecountycollective.co.uk/county-cricket-and-covid-19-the-next-steps-according-to-rod-bransgrove/

This was a hugely difficult season which took place under the shadow of the Packer revolution, involving Richards, Greenidge and Roberts and then ended tragically in the very sudden death of Desmond Eagar, for 30+ years one of the key architects of Hampshire’s rise to be one of the strongest sides in the land. It hinged too on a couple of matches with Gloucestershire, when quite probably both counties would have settled for swapping the result. As it was, we lost to them narrowly in the Procter hat-trick B&H semi-final (they won the cup), but on the last day of the season we beat them at Bristol to deny them their first Championship title in the modern (1890-) era.

The season opened on 23 April, with a rain-affected two-day B&H victory over Lancashire at Southampton. Richards went early, but John Rice (41, replacing the absent Greenidge) and David Turner (81) took the score to 126, after which only Mike Taylor (22*) and extras reached double figures in a total of 201-8. Barry Wood (64) and ‘Bumble’ (44) then opened with 97 to set Lancashire well on their way, but Tom Mottram 3-33 and John Rice with 3-36, took wickets regularly and they finished on 183-8, short by 18 runs. John Rice took the Man-of the Match award.

At the end of the season, Hampshire took part in the Scarborough Festival, beating Essex to win the Fenner Trophy and then losing by just one run (with Greenidge absent ill) to TN Pearce’s XI over three days (not first-class)

The Cup Final was a month away – Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1 – while back in April, Abba were top of the charts again with “Knowing Me, Knowing You”. On 17 August, the day scheduled for the Gillette Cup semi-finals, Elvis Presley died.

And another impressive victory for Hampshire, after a difficult start (thanks to ACS)

HAMPSHIRE 176 (Livsey 41*, Preece 4-38) and 433 (Mead 125, Barrett 79, JG Greig 69, Livsey 50*; GGF Greig 4-119). 

WORCESTERSHIRE 263 (Jewell 110, Newman 6-91) and 126 (Jewell 41; Kennedy 6-44, Newman 3-37). 

Hampshire won by 220 runs.

Kennedy Bowls Worcestershire to Defeat

Any hope Worcestershire may have had of chasing down a target disappeared when Walter Livsey and Frank Ryan (17) added another 65 runs to Hampshire’s total this morning in only 40 minutes, making the home side’s target into 347.  The wicket was rather worn, but most of the Worcestershire batsmen showed little spirit against the fine bowling of Alex Kennedy and Jack Newman.  The exception was Major Arthur Jewell, who again scored more than twice as many runs in his team’s innings as the next-best player; in fact, the next best individual scores were 10, by Cecil Turner and Bill Taylor, who was not out.  It was a sad experience for Worcestershire after having such a good first day.