Hampshire Cricket History

When I first watched Hampshire in the 1960s, their pacemen were Shackleton, White, Cottam, then Herman, Mottram, Jesty, followed by Roberts, Marshall, Stevenson, Emery, Connor etc. In the late 1970s Richard Elms came from Kent and played a few games taking 27 wickets at 37.59 but he was a real exception – why?

Because he was a left-arm pace bowler – a breed almost unknown through Hampshire’s first-class history. There have always been fine slow left-armers but not quick guys until in the mid-1980s Elvis Reifer came for a year, followed by Kevan James, Steve Jefferies and then it was almost non-stop – the much-loved ‘Tommo’ of course but also, Alan Mullally, Wasim Akram, Tom Hansen, Chaminda Vaas, Rees Topley, Sohail Tanvir, Keith Barker and last year Jack Campbell.

There is also of course, Chris Wood who has signed a new white-ball contract to take him through next season. Chris was the first Hampshire player to take 100(+) wickets in the three formats (Liam has done that now but he’s certainly slower!).

Paul’s comment link to the Daily Telegraph article (many thanks) is a fascinating read. There is clearly no hope for county cricket is there?

Consider this passage and guess the year

“Surrey declared XXXX their “worst-ever” season financially with an average aggregate home attendance of 4,725 per match, a fall in excess of 5,000 each game. Elsewhere, Hampshire, in a damp and unsuccessful season, announced attendances “have been disappointing even when the weather has been fine”; Somerset had a loss of £5,000 adding, “we cannot afford to go on like that” and trimmed their professional staff by five men; Sussex predicted an increase of £1 in subscriptions; Middlesex suffered a fall of 38,000 in gates and released four players; Worcestershire’s attendances dropped by about 15,000, and so it continued. Only the teams in first, second and fourth place had improved gates”.

(from my book Forever Changes)

Answer in the first comment

Liam took a wicket in the ‘series too far’. I’m almost more interested in the World Cup (which World Cup? The football – no sorry, The Men’s Football)

Looks like England are going down 0-3, maybe James will play another good innings as he did in the last losing cause. I’m not sure what’s up next for England, maybe six months in India starting next week?

So England are a rubbish white ball side after all huh? Still Dawson has bowled quite well in both games and Vince rescued the innings today. I must confess I forgot all about it even with two Hampshire players.

Two more years – contract announced today. It means any changes or additions to the batting line-up won’t be from overseas.

As my contribution to the Austerity Budgets I’ve given up Sky Sports but thanks to Channel 4 I was able to watch England win the World Cup today (will there be another in 2023?)

I’ll never really warm to to T20 but I’m very pleased for England and their fans – they did a pretty good job, somewhat aided by an injury to the only ‘Hampshire’ player.

It means they are the only side ever to hold both white-ball World Cups – 50 overs and T20 – excellent stuff.

But it seems therefore rather odd that we don’t play in either format any longer as a major domestic tournament. Maybe the Hundred is turning us into the invincibles …

(It’s a line from Casablanca)

Check this – it’s very interesting

County Cricketers in 2022

Clearly everyone enjoyed my contemporary dance feature so here’s another dancing photo from Hampshire which I found in the ‘Shackleton memorabilia’ (there was also some cricket)

It’s the back page of the Sunday Pictorial from 30 July 1961 – a photo taken the previous day obviously, Saturday 29 July 1961.

1961 I hear you thinking. Well, on the same day I was at the US Ground in Pompey watching Hampshire v Middlesex at a point in the season when Middlesex were definitely in contention. On that day we scored 252 all out but it was a bit of a struggle from 86-5. Danny Livingstone 91, Leo Harrison 67, Alan Moss 6-52. Middlesex with a young student Mike Brearley substituting for John Murray (England v Australia) behind the stumps, closed on 22-1 (Shack of course). The game was drawn

The Test was at Old Trafford. England twice had the winning of it but Richie Benaud spun Australia to victory and the Ashes which Australia held throughout the 1960s

The photo caption reads “A girl with bare feet jives at the Beaulieu Jazz Festival yesterday. Nearby a couple smooch on the grass – in BARE FEET. They’re playing it cool man … real C-O-O-L!

(I was 11 years old – six years later I’d be doing what they were doing, but with shoes!)

After two Championship titles in recent years (not played in 2020) Hampshire’s ‘reserves’ slipped to mid-way this year but some of the players certainly impressed in the RL Cup.

This table has been sent to me by Don Starr who puts considerable effort into such work. There are ‘other’ versions of this floating around which, for example, fail to show Yorkshire as Champions because they don’t divide points by games played (most points – Notts and Glams but more games played).

Accept no substitute – and MANY thanks to Don:

SECOND ELEVEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2022 TABLE

                                                                                                                        Source – KG/L  

From the Radio Times – today’s schedule for Talking Pictures. It was James Tomlinson but not that one; this James was talking about his father, the actor David Tomlinson (Mary Poppins etc)