Hampshire Cricket History

The photo below shows the two captains for the first-ever televised T20 match back in 2003, John Crawley of Hampshire and Chris Adams of Sussex. The others were special loan deals just for that game. Proper stuff huh?

Isn’t it great that it’s back this week? I am actually going on Sunday because I’m meeting a young man with ambitions to make his way ‘behind the scenes’ in professional sport. I have his ticket, he lives on the IOW so I offered to collect him in Pompey, show him around and drive him there-and-back.

But he lives in Cowes and is travelling to Southampton. Clearly I’m not allowed to drive there in my blue car so I’m looking for advice – how easy is it for him to get from wherever the Ferry Across the Solent docks to the ground? On a Sunday morning? Anyone know?

I’m so old that for many years, growing up with cricket, the county season used to start around the same week that the FA Cup Final brought the football season to a close. But this weekend that match and ‘Saints’ success the day after coincided with the halfway point in the Championship season. It’s just bizarre.

We have recently been asked a very interesting question on commentary – was Hampshire’s lead of 488 their highest ever batting second

The answer is yes. Previously 453 v Surrey, 1994; 448 v Sussex 1990 and 423 v Somerset 2011

(There were a few other records …!!)

PS Surrey are 148-9, needing 63 to avoid Hampshire’s biggest ever innings victory

PPS BUT – we get Surrey’s highest partnership in the match! (OK – that did it; just)

On the BBC scorecard tonight: “Hampshire need 279 runs to win”!

In our first title-winning year (1961) we won a fine but rather odd victory at the Oval when because of an experimental Law there was no follow-on and we chased down a victory target after being bowled out cheaply in the first innings. Roy Marshall led that charge and with Henry Horton added 180 for the second wicket which was until today our record partnership for that wicket against Surrey. Now it’s not – the record now reads:

201 T Albert & N Gubbins The Utilita Bowl 2024

It’s clearly an omen.

PS An odd last over. Brown and Dawson added 157 at about six an over but after Ben took a single moving on to 99*, Liam could not get him back on strike and the live picture feed (I was home by then) couldn’t keep up either. So, we resume tomorrow with Brown needing one more run and the pair needing to add 11 more runs to take them past our current 5th wicket record v Surrey (167).

PPS It’s the end of May – Ali Orr is 23; Toby Albert is 22; Fletcha Middleton is 22 & Tom Prest is 21. All four (uncapped) have scored Championship centuries this season. It’s the first time four different uncapped Hampshire batters aged 23 or less have scored Championship hundreds by the end of May.

(Have I checked? No. Here’s your chance to prove me wrong!)

” A really lovely day”. I hope we bat all day at least – lead of 300? And as Tom suggested, a late surge towards that elusive title.

I’m involved in the Chris Wood/Members day today – might see you there? It means comments might ‘pile up’ a bit but I will get to them this evening, so, like Chris, keep smiling and carry on.

There have been 21 victories in the two divisions this year
They have occurred on 12 different grounds with Trent Bridge & the Oval three each
The wickets in result matches have fallen at between one every 5.08 and 11.2 overs (at Taunton & Trent Bridge respectively) 
In 17 of the 21 matches wickets fell at 9.6 or fewer overs which in 96 over days would mean 40 wickets in a full match (In only two games have all 40 actually fallen)
All three Utilita Bowl games have been drawn with an average of one wicket every 14.02 overs. 

Opening partnerships – seasonal averages, excluding the COVID year (2020):

2019: 22.72

2021: 23.96

2022: 33.21

2023: 21.08

2024: 15.44 (so far)

Our 2nd XI played a T20 v the RAF yesterday and thumped them:

RAF 136-6 with someone called J Fuller 25*. For Hampshire HM Parmar took 3-15, FD Gordon 2-24 but Dom Kelly 0-32 and once again, John Turner didn’t play. In reply: Hampshire 138-0 in 8.3 overs. Toby Albert 86* from 31 balls and K Dhariwal 39*. Neither Joe Weatherly, Eckland or La Fontaine-Jackson got in.

Team v Surrey? A ‘typical’ Bank Holiday weather forecast suggests 8 points at least. Is Mo Abbas really fit (well)? Was John Turner omitted yesterday because he might be considered? Is Gubbins a straight swop for the wounded Prest – allowing Organ to become a middle-order all-rounder (number seven)? Do they stick with Orr?

Things will change from here – watch out Surrey!

I’ll confess I didn’t think we’d do it today but Middleton was terrific and while Fuller drives me nuts at times when he’s going well he’s worth watching.

LOVELY!!

I keep banging on about his remarkable strike rate while anticipating that as his career progresses it will get stretched – but not so far and certainly not this afternoon when it’s improved.

A very good effort today on the whole, let’s hope they can get those runs.