Countdown to 2010 Begins

There's plenty for Hampshire fans to be excited about now that next season’s fixtures have been released. The LV County Championship campaign begins on April 9th with three fascinating away trips. The team go to Chelmsford to face recently promoted Essex before venturing north to the current LVCC Champions Durham, and then heading to Edgbaston to take on Warwickshire. Last season’s runners up Nottinghamshire are the first visitors at home in the LVCC on May 4th, with Somerset coming to The Rose Bowl a week later.

Nic Pothas is as upbeat as ever about the news. “In a way it is better to be travelling around the country at the start of the season when you are fresh and raring to go. Later on in the season, it is more of an issue when you are tired and carrying a few niggles. Not playing at home for the first few games means we will have more fixtures at home in the summer when the wickets are dryer and hopefully that will help Ajantha Mendis.

“The County Championship is really tough whoever you play. Obviously, Essex are newly promoted and won’t be used to the intensity of the First Division so we need to use that to our advantage. We will be looking to hit them hard like we did with Worcestershire at the start of last season [Hampshire won inside three days]. Having said that I believe Essex will be a better side than Worcester were last year. Playing Essex away in four day cricket is very different from playing Essex away in one day cricket where they are a much more confident side.

“Durham away is always a very difficult fixture but it’s nice to catch them at the start before they hit their straps. As a squad we will have to be at our best to beat them so we just want to have a really good pre season, get our planning right, go there and perform well.”

There is a certain symmetry to the campaign as at the end of the season Hampshire also have three consecutive away LVCC games, this time against Yorkshire, Lancashire and Division Two champions Kent, before the curtain closer on September 13th against Warwickshire at home.

The Hawks kick off their ECB 40 League season away at Durham before entertaining Nottinghamshire for the first game at The Rose Bowl. Kent, Leicestershire, Scotland and Warwickshire make up the other sides in Group C in the new competition before the end of season semi-finals and final in September.

Hampshire Hawks’ Friends Provident T20 season begins on June 3rd with a floodlit fixture against 2008 losing finalists Kent at The Rose Bowl. New signing Simon Jones will be heading back to his Glamorgan roots in the Hawks’ first away Twenty20 fixture at the SWALEC Stadium. June and July are dominated by T20 action as more emphasis has been put on the competition this season. Finals’ Day will make a splendid return to The Rose Bowl on August 14th so keep your eye out for that one.

England and Australia renew their rivalry on June 22nd with a floodlit NatWest Series One Day International at The Rose Bowl before England Women take on India Women in a NatWest Women's International Twenty20 on July 1st. Pakistan come to Hampshire on September 22nd to play England in another NatWest Series One Day International, which will be last game of the season at The Rose Bowl.

Written for Hampshire CCC website