Hampshire Cricket History

I’ve always been interested in our 2nd XI – the formal competition started in 1959, the year I first watched Hampshire. Back in the early 1990s my first involvement beyond being a fan, was with the Hampshire Exiles set up pre-internet to keep those outside Hampshire ‘in touch’ and specifically supporting the ‘reserves’. maybe other Bloggers were Exiles?

I find it interesting to check previous 2nd XI sides to see who made it – and wonder about those who didn’t. Yesterday I came across this photo of our guys in 2008 when they beat Essex to win the 50 over cup: Hampshire 220-7; Essex 213 all out (46.4 overs). Essex recovered from 150-9.

I’ll post the photo to see how many you recognise – I’ll post the line-up in the first Comment

His death has been announced. Might this be the best of tributes?

The match finished on a Thursday, the tourists had Friday free and on Saturday they had a bit of fun in Southampton scoring 539-4 declared in 142 overs (all bowled in one day). Roy Marshall scored 135 and the rest is (Hampshire) history.

on a beautiful sunny day at the Red Lion at Chalton which we visited after a trip to Petersfield to take a couple of photos that are already freely available online and in books but I wanted my own copy. The gravestone outside St Peter’s Church in the Square is the only one still standing there and commemorates the great Hambledon/Hampshire cricketer John Small. The Blue Plaque on the wall of the shop adjacent to the church marks the house and shop that Small lived and worked in.

It is easy enough to find much information online about Small – he is often considered the finest of the ‘Hambledon’ 18th century cricketers; he was top-scorer in the historic inaugural first-class 1772 season, which we celebrate this year; he was the first man to pass three figures in a major match, and he is said to have been the first man to master the straight bat. He was also on the receiving end of bowling by Lumpy Stevens which passed between his two stumps without dislodging the bail and led to the addition of the third stump.

From the main news – A Test Match on TV! Earlier in the game Markram got past 40 for South Africa now another “Hampshire’ batter, the BIG fellow is going nicely with 58* from just 67 balls.

It looks as though there are at least 50 people in the ground!

PS de Grandhomme was going really well with 88* from 102 but the slow-left-armer Maharaj is troubling him. If he gets there it will be just his second Test century (Markram has five although both average in the mid-30s).

Sean asked how the famous 1922 victory at Edgbaston was reported in the 1923 ‘Handbook’ (Hampshire County Cricket Guide). The answer is in the picture below. There is no mention of the match in the Introduction and no article summarising the season.

(So much for the Good Old Days!)

Sean has spotted these online and asked about them – I must reassure Hedgehog and James that they were nothing to do with me (!) but below are the (soft) covers and one inside shot (the pen indicates the small size)

Inside there are one or two photos and a few adverts (buy a bike from £3-19s-6d); the season’s averages and scorecards are there but showing only the Hampshire bowling and there is a list of every member and address. Otherwise there are short features on special moments in Hampshire or broader cricket history, often from the 18th century. There is a full first-class fixture list and intriguingly a fixture list of many Hampshire club matches both on the county ground and on public pitches in Southampton. At the back are the Laws of Cricket.

I hope I have completed the updates although it is a Forth Bridge type task – no sooner done than it needs updating again.

The first two editions of the book (number one, soft yellow covers; number two, hard-back blue) have sold out and have not yet started appearing on lists ‘for sale’ (that I’ve seen).

I do however have a PDF of the complete second edition (including covers). It doesn’t sit on the shelves of course but the great thing is you can search it.

If any of you Bloggers would like a copy of the PDF, just email me at the new cricket address and I’ll send you one

davehccc@gmail.com

PS I have this morning sent the first draft of the new Handbook to the guys at the Ageas Bowl. It’s on its way.

The last two – but keep checking (I can’t be trusted!):

Bradley Thomas James (‘Brad’) WHEAL (533) born Durban, South Africa 28.8.1996.

Pace bowler Brad Wheal was brought to England by Hampshire’s then coach Dale Benkenstein in 2015, and he made his debut that season in first-class cricket, adding limited-overs and T20 debuts in the following year. Through his mother he has a qualification for Scotland and has represented them in 13 ODIs and 14 IT20s since the winter of 2015/16. He suffered injury problems in the 2018 season, and did not play any first-class cricket for Hampshire in 2019, although he played in three Bob Willis Trophy matches in 2020. He enjoyed his most successful season in the Championship and T20 in 2021, when he also played for London Spirit in the Hundred and at the end of that season he was one of seven players awarded his county cap. Squad number 58

His figures for Hampshire:

First-class: 41 matches; 362 runs at 11.31; HS: 46* v Warwickshire at Edgbaston, 2021. 95 wickets at 33.31, BB 6-51 v Nottinghamshire (Nottingham) 2016

List A: 15 matches; 47 runs at 9.40; HS: 18* v CC & C (Bridgetown) 2017/18. 21 wickets at 30.76; BB 4-38 v Kent (Southampton) 2016

T20: 20 matches; 25 runs, at 8.33 HS 16 v Middlesex (Southampton) 2016. 23 wickets at 22.95 BB 3-39 v Glamorgan at the Ageas Bowl, 2021.

Christopher Phillip (‘Chris’) WOOD (504) born Basingstoke 27.6.1990.

Left-arm pace bowler Chris Wood played for Hampshire’s Academy side from 2006, for the 2^nd XI from 2007 and for England under-19s from 2008. He made his first team debut in 2010 and over the next three seasons played in 27 first-class matches but largely as a result of injury he has played very little first-class cricket since, with just 13 matches in seven seasons and none since 2018. He did however play in four matches towards the end of the 2014 season including the match at Cardiff when Hampshire clinched the Division Two title and promotion, where he had match figures of 6-74. He remains however an important ‘white ball’ bowler, having played 79 limited-overs matches and 142 in the T20, during a period when Hampshire have enjoyed some success and he is the only Hampshire bowler to have taken 100+ wickets in all three formats. He played in the Hampshire side that won the T20 in 2010 and was a member of the ‘double’ winners of 2012. He was a member of the Hampshire sides that won the Royal London Cup in 2018, and lost in the Final one year later.  He is a useful lower-order batter and scored a first-class century at Leicester in 2012 plus six half-centuries. In 2021 he played for London Spirit in the Hundred. Squad number 25; Hampshire Cap 2018

His figures for Hampshire:

First-class: 43 matches; 1326 runs at 23.67; HS: 105*v Leicestershire at Leicester, 2012. 105 wickets at 30.22, BB 5-39 v Kent (Canterbury) 2014

List A: 79 matches; 400 runs at 12.90; HS: 41 v Essex (Southampton) 2013. 106 wickets at 27.96; BB 5-22 v Glamorgan (Cardiff) 2012

T20: 142 matches; 397 runs, at 11.02; HS 27 v Surrey (Oval) 2014. 150 wickets at 26.64; BB 5-32 v Somerset (Taunton) 2018

In the 2018 edition of HAMPSHIRE COUNTY CRICKETERS I included winter signings (Barker, Fuller etc) who were due to play the following season. In similar fashion I shall include these three new signings in the planned booklet:

Ben Christopher BROWN born Crawley 23 November 1988

Ben Brown is a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. He played for England under-19s (with Liam Dawson) in Test and limited-overs matches from 2006-2008 and made his debut for Sussex in 2007. He won his county cap in 2014 and was Sussex captain from 2017-2020. He has twice passed 1,000 first-class runs in a season and reached 976 at 51.36 in 2021. He has joined Hampshire for the start of the 2022 season.

His overall figures:

First-class: 157 matches; 8,649 runs at 40.41; HS 163 (22 x 100s). One wicket at 109.00. Catches 434; Stumped 21

List A: 79 matches; 1,354 runs at 27.08; HS 105 (one century). Caught 68; Stumped 12

T20: 82 matches; 840 runs at 15.00; HS 15.00. Caught 41; Stumped 7.

Benjamin Reginald (‘Ben’) McDERMOTT born Queensland Australia, 12.12.1994

Opening batter Ben McDermott is the son of the bowler Craig McDermott who played for Australia 1984-1996. Ben McDermott has played for various Australian sides in the three formats and in 2021 played for Derbyshire in the County Championship. He has played in two ODIs for Australia and in 22 IT20s with one half-century v Sri Lanka in February 2022. He is to join Hampshire for the domestic T20 competition in 2022.

His overall T20 figures (to 20 February 2022): 96 matches; 2386 runs at 31.81; HS 127 (3 centuries) for Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Renegades (2021/22)

ROSS Andrew WHITELY born Sheffield 13.9.1988

Ross Whitely is a left-handed, batting all-rounder who has joined Hampshire from Worcestershire on a white-ball contract for 2022, having played for the Ageas Bowl-based Southern Brave side in the Hundred in 2021 (133 runs at 33.25; S/R 144.6). He played for Derbyshire 2008-2013, before joining Worcestershire.

His figures in all cricket (to January 2022)

First-class 89 matches; 3,577 runs at 27.09 HS 130* for Derbyshire v Kent (Derby) 2011. 41 wickets at 51.14 BB 2-6 for Derbyshire v Hampshire (Derby) 2012

List A: 81 matches; 1,660 runs at 27.66 HS 131 v Leicestershire (Leicester) 2019. 14 wickets at 40.21 BB 4-58 v West Indies ‘A’ (Worcester) 2018.

T20: 153 matches; 2,585 runs at 25.59 HS 91* v Yorkshire (Leeds) 2015. Four wickets at 45.25; BB 1-10 for Sylhet Sixers v Khulna Titans (Sylhet Stadium, Bangladesh) 2017/18

I promise you I have now gone again through all the averages for 2019, 2020 & 2021 and I really don’t think there are any others to report ‘missing in action’.

Oliver Courtenay (‘Ollie’) SOAMES (555) born Kingston-upon-Thames 27.10.1995.

Opening batter Soames attended Cheltenham College and Loughborough University, playing two first-class matches for the latter in April 2018. He played one match for Hampshire 2nd XI in September 2017 and further games in 2018, after which he played in the last four Championship matches with a best of 29 in the final match v Lancashire. He signed a two-year contract and played in six Championship matches in 2019 but he did not appear in any matches for Hampshire in 2020 – there was no 2^nd XI cricket – and he left the club. In September 2021 he played in one 2^nd XI Championship match for Derbyshire, scoring 51 in the second innings.

His first-class figures for Hampshire:

10 matches; 217 runs at 12.05; HS: 62 v Warwickshire (Edgbaston) 2019.