Nigel Gray Commended in ECB Awards

Often it is the people behind the scenes who rarely get noticed. Whilst Jimmy Adams and Michael Lumb get the plaudits for their top one day batting this year, the pitch was rarely mentioned. However, this week the ECB announced the 2009 Groundsman of the Year Award, and Hampshire’s very own Nigel Gray was commended in the one day category.

Matt Merchant from Old Trafford was the winner of the four day category and Neil Godrich from Derby received the award in the one day category, but it’s a testament to Gray’s ability to be even mentioned for the award. Gray was responsible for preparing the pitches for the amazing one day games that left the fans full of excitement and he has rightly been commended for the second year running.

Hampshire Hawks, with the aid of Gray’s brilliant skills, were able to record scores of 300 against Leicestershire, 316 against Ireland and 310 against Middlesex on their way to Friends Provident Trophy success. Creating the right environment for a score of 281 against Nottinghamshire and the excitement of a last ball win against Yorkshire in the Pro40 were down to Gray’s work as well.

Thousands of fans at The Rose Bowl saw Hampshire destroy most of their own Twenty20 records in an active summer. The 191 in the win over Surrey, a record breaking 219 against Essex, with the help of Lumb’s 124, and the 183 against Middlesex would not have been possible without Gray.

Chairman and Chief Executive Rod Bransgrove could not be more complimentary about the work Gray does: "It's tremendous recognition for Nigel Gray getting a commendation for his one day pitches. He's a brilliant groundsman who does a wonderful job for us - together with his entire team - and it's a huge achievement to be commended two year's running."

Alan Fordham, the ECB’s Head of Operations (First Class Cricket), commented: “The work of all head groundsmen is highly valued and we are delighted to make these annual awards which recognise the head groundsmen who have prepared the best pitches this season”.

Every pitch gets an assessment from each of the umpires after every match, and the winners of each category are the groundsmen whose pitches have achieved the highest average rating across the course of the season.

Written for Hampshire CCC website

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

Hampshire v Nottinghamshire Pro40

The three runs scored off the first two overs of Hampshire’s innings gave The Rose Bowl crowd basking in the autumn sunshine little indication of what was to come. But in Darren Pattinson’s second over Michael Lumb broke loose with a six so huge it completely unnerved the bowler, who promptly no balled and the subsequent free hit was knocked back over his head for four.

This set the tone for what was to follow and by the end of the tenth over Hampshire had put on 78 runs with Lumb leading the way on 47. Lumb’s fifty came up shortly afterwards, with a well timed two off Jason Brown in an over that went for 12 runs in total, leaving the Outlaws little option but to go for the spin of Samit Patel. Although this slowed the run rate it was Kevin O’Brien, bowling from the pavilion end, who ended Lumb’s dominance when he was out stumped. His innings of 61 had taken only 47 balls, with 10 fours and a six, his partnership with Jimmy Adams achieving a run rate of 7.5 an over.

It was now Adams’ turn to accelerate and he showed his intent with two fine fours off the first balls of the next over. His next boundary left new batting partner James Vince flat on the floor as he made a spectacular dive to avoid the speeding ball. Adams continued to show his liking for Patel’s bowling when he brought up his fifty with a hard run two. In the context of the game it was positively sedate, taking 56 balls, with 8 fours.

Hampshire were making batting look all too easy, with Vince the third player to reach fifty, in 39 balls and with 5 fours, pulled and driven to all corners of the ground, mainly off Luke Fletcher. But the party was almost over, when, in the 28th over Outlaws’ captain Chris Read turned to his seventh bowler, rookie Akhil Patel, Samit’s younger brother, who promptly took a wicket with his first List A ball. Vince was caught by Carter running in from back of square leg for 55.
Patel was to prove that is wasn’t simply beginner’s luck when in his next over he had Adams caught by Hales close to the boundary for 73. In the course of the innings he had made his 1,000th List A run. By this time Notts had a Patel at each end, and not to be outdone Samit snared Chris Benham lbw for 8, leaving Hampshire 227 for 4 in the 33rd over.

The Hawks were keeping the rate above 7 an over and Sean Ervine carried on in the same vein, making a busy 31 off 35 balls; unusually for him without a single boundary. He was out in the 38th over, looking to slog Fletcher across the line. Dawson made 6, losing his wicket to Fletcher in the last over of the game, with Chris Tremlett finishing on 2 and Nic Pothas on 23.
Hampshire set Nottingham a total of 282 to win.

Hampshire made a bold decision to open the bowling with youngsters Hamza Riazuddin and spinner Danny Briggs and as early as the 7th over it looked like a masterstroke. Mark Wagh did manage to spectacularly hoist a Briggs delivery over the mid off rope towards the pavilion for a six but the very next ball he was walking that way himself having scored only 13. Briggs had cleaned bowled him to take his first ever List A wicket.

Riazuddin then sent Matthew Wood (18) packing when a short delivery deflected up off the bat for Jimmy Adams to make a stunning diving catch at point that left Nottinghamshire 36 for 2. Samit Patel and Alex Hales began shoring up the visitor’s innings with a couple of well-struck fours but Chris Tremlett and Sean Ervine came into the attack and the latter was an instant success by clean bowling Hales for 19 for his 150th List A wicket. This prompted Akhil Patel to join his elder brother at the crease.

In the 18th over the two Patels got into a strange mix up and Akhil was eventually run out by Adams’ quick thinking for just 6 runs. The visitors finally reached the 100 mark in the 21st over with a single from the remaining Patel. The next ball saw another wicket tumble when Ervine cleaned bowled Chris Read for 10 – his second wicket of the match.

Imran Tahir then got in with the act when Patel (28), attempting to slog, hit straight to Riazuddin at deep mid-wicket to leave Nottinghamshire 104 for 6. Ervine continued his devastating spell when he took out Luke Fletcher’s middle stump for just 3. Briggs then caught Darren Pattinson (5) off his own bowling after the batsman tamely knocked it back.

Andy Carter (7) skied Tahir for Tremlett to catch out on the boundary. Kevin O’Brien smacked a six over Tahir’s head before airing the next delivery to Nic Pothas to catch for a deserved Hampshire win, bowling Nottinghamshire out for 139. The Hawks won by 142 runs.

LVCC Hampshire v Durham Day 4

Hampshire came into the last day of this County Championship game against Durham looking to reach the 400 mark and with the fall of Chris Benham and nightwatchman David Griffiths last night, they only had 4 wickets in hand to achieve that goal.

Starting the day on 267 for 6, new man Sean Ervine laid down his intentions of picking up the pace with a huge six in the first complete over of the day off Scott Borthwick.

Ervine’s swashbuckling attitude demonstrates Hampshire’s perseverance to push on and brilliantly timed sweeps off Borthwick and then Liam Plunkett raised the home side’s run rate under a very cloudy Rose Bowl. Nic Pothas, resuming on 55, beautifully crafted a sweep shot down to the square leg rope for his first boundary of the day as the pair looked to build a big scoring partnership.

Hampshire won their third batting point when Ervine nipped Plunkett to third man in the day’s 9th over. However with Hampshire making good progress the umpires decided to stop play for bad light prompting an early lunch; Hampshire were 319 for 6.
Hampshire resumed their innings after Lunch when the umpires decided light was good enough to restart.

Pothas and Ervine managed to score runs freely, all be it fortuitously. The first over after lunch Ervine flashed hard outside his off stump and found the boundary through the gap between slips and gully from the bowling of Steve Harmison. Two overs later Pothas saw an inside edge race to the boundary again from Harmison.

In the 110th over Ervine ran a scampered two to reach his half century from just 56 deliveries, which included 7 fours and 1 maximum.

Hampshire’s captain Pothas (78) was dismissed by Ian Blackwell in the 112th over, when he attempted a big sweep only to see his off stump unhinged; leaving the home team on 345 for 7.
With overs ticking away, Hampshire gained their fourth batting point of the innings after Ervine ran a single off Blackwell to take the score past 350.

The 118th over saw Dominic Cork take the attack to Blackwell, hitting him through mid-on for two consecutive boundaries as the Home team chased after the final batting point.
Cork (24) then tried one elusive shot too many, when he attempted to guide a Harmison delivery over the slips only to be caught by wicketkeeper Phil Mustard.

Two balls later Ervine (67) was heading back to the pavilion after trying to hit Blackwell for a big shot on the leg-side, which resulted in a top edge and was caught behind, giving Durham maximum bowling points.

Hampshire were bowled out for 384 when Youngster Danny Briggs was dismissed by Blackwell for a second ball duck. The Durham all-rounder finished the innings with figures of 5 for 110.
Durham started the second innings with a lead of 55 and made their way without scare to 8 for 0 before the umpires took the players off for bad light.

The match ended in a draw after the players failed to return to the field resulting in Hampshire scoring 10 points and Durham 11. The result leaves Hampshire closer to safety with one game remaining away against fellow relegation strugglers Yorkshire.

LVCC Hampshire v Durham Day 3

Champions Durham had one wicket in hand going into this third day of the County Championship match against Hampshire. Resuming on 435 for 9, Steve Harmison and Scott Borthwick looked to add as many runs as possible but fortunately for the home side they lasted only 10 balls. David Griffiths trapped Harmison leg before for Durham to end their first innings on 439 all out.

Jimmy Adams and Liam Dawson began Hampshire’s innings positively. Harmison opened the attack for the visitors and it was a lively over. Adams nudged the first ball to cover for an easy single before Dawson guided a perfectly timed cover drive for the first boundary. The next ball saw Dawson edge a Harmison short delivery that fell tantalisingly short of third slip.In the 8th over spinner Ian Blackwell replaced the ineffective Mark Davies to attempt to decrease Hampshire’s run rate.

Adams and Dawson had found the rope on many occasions but with Durham’s aggressive field placements, they found their first wicket. Dawson, surrounded by five fielders, mistimed a Blackwell delivery that looped up for wicketkeeper Phil Mustard to make a diving catch. Dawson was looking in good form but he had to depart having scored 29.Blackwell picked up his second wicket quickly. Michael Lumb, trying to hit through cover, was trapped leg before for 6 reducing Hampshire to 72 for 2.

James Vince entered the fray looking to stabilise and build a partnership with Adams and his first boundary came after 9 overs with an excellent drive through extra cover.Durham started to implement spin from both ends with Borthwick joining Blackwell in attack as they looked for a further breakthrough before lunch and they found it. Borthwick seduced Vince (8) into playing a straight drive but the ball found an inside edge and then pad before being caught by Will Smith.

It left Hampshire 87 for 3 at lunch.

Durham continued with their spin attack after lunch and in the third over Adams made his 7th fifty of this Championship season, off 78 balls and with 6 fours. He wasn’t to last much longer, however, when on 57 he hit a Borthwick delivery straight to Harmison on the square leg boundary, bringing stand-in captain Nic Pothas to the crease on 114 for 4.

Initially runs were hard to come by for Pothas and number 5 batsman Chris Benham, the exception being Pothas hitting two spectacular fours in one over, the second straight back over bowler Blackwell’s head.But it was Benham’s afternoon and he too reached fifty off 78 balls and with 6 fours – his first in the 2009 Championship. His strokeplay was impressive and included a beautifully swept boundary off Borthwick as well as elegant cover drives. Pothas was happy to take the supporting role and at tea he had made 32 off 93 balls while Benham had charged ahead with 71 off 114.

Hampshire went in for tea on 207 for 4, their first batting point from this game securely in the bag.Straight after the interval Davies came into the attack for the third time to try to break the stubborn partnership between Pothas and Benham that had moved past 100 in the 69th over. Durham became more defensive in their fielding and runs became harder to find for the batsmen.

The visitors opted for the new ball as soon as possible to unleash the lethal ‘Grievous Bodily’ Harmison to try to end this immovable partnership. Apart from it being maiden, his first over accomplished little and it didn’t threaten with much authority.The next over saw Pothas taking advantage of a loose Blackwell delivery that he punished through cover for a boundary. With a single in the 83rd over Benham moved past to his own personal best First Class score of 95.

Pothas, in his 200th First Class game, made his 50 off 192 balls with 7 fours when he drove a Blackwell delivery down the ground to the ropes for a boundary.Benham then moved on to his maiden First Class century in the following over, off 185 balls with 10 fours, by running a quick three after playing to the mid off fence. Whilst on 100 Benham perished; he edged to Michael Di Venuto in the slips for Borthwick to claim his third wicket of the match on his County Championship debut.

Nightwatchman David Griffiths came to the crease to see out the day’s remaining overs. He did just that as he got out to Plunkett for a single, bringing the end of the day’s play; Pothas will resume tomorrow on 55 not out.

Hampshire finished the day on 267 for 6.

Match reporting for Hampshire CCC Website

FA Website

My university appeared on the FA website and funnily enough whilst watching the gripping television I notice me and two of my classmates appear.

Have a look yourself.

http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/FACompetitions/TheFACup/NewsAndFeatures/2009/bristolrovers_southampton_041109.aspx

Jimmy Adams talks to Steven Woodgate

Following Hampshire Hawks’ one run victory over Yorkshire Carnegie, opener Jimmy Adams admitted it was a win that the team needed: “We needed that win having lost against Sussex. We were very disappointed after last week’s game at Northants where we didn’t do ourselves any justice at all and were well below par. To win a close game is always a great feeling so we’re very happy.”

Adams praised the batsmen for their part in the win. “The guys in the middle did a great job. We got a little stuck after the first 15, the spinners and Hoggard bowled well and pegged us back a little but we kept wickets in hand and it served us well.”

As the floodlights came on, Yorkshire’s fielders seemed to struggle as a series of chances went begging: “It seemed that a few guys had trouble picking the ball up but in a tight game the losers will always think about their errors – that’s the nature of the game.”

Adams believes it was a job well done as a real team effort gave Hampshire victory: “I felt we started really well with the ball, but once they got going we struggled to hold them back. A few of the bowlers may feel they’ve had better days but us batters have had better days as well, they’ve done the job a lot for us this year and this time we were able to do it for them.”

The opener believes the heavy schedule of matches (Hampshire play Lancashire in the LVCC starting today) is tough but accepts it as part of professional cricket: “The fixture list is the fixture list; we can only do what we can do. We’ll try and get a good night’s sleep and we’ve got half an hour lie in! It’s a little bit bonkers but that’s the way it is, we were lucky to have a week off before the FP Trophy semi. Sometimes the fixture list works in your favour and sometimes it doesn’t but most of the lads are night owls anyway.”

Adams was bemused by the Twenty20 defeat against Northants last week and believes it will spur the team on to better things. “Northants was hugely frustrating. We were nowhere near where we wanted to be, unfortunately we had a low but it gave us a kick up the backside. Winning every game isn’t possible. It was a massive game for us and annoying we had it so soon after such a great day at Lord’s.”

Post match reporting by Steve Woodgate.

Pro40: Hampshire v Yorkshire

The first Pro40 match of the season at The Rose Bowl saw Hampshire, on their return from winning the Friends Provident Trophy, lose the toss and Yorkshire Carnegie’s stand-in captain Jacques Rudolph used his initiative and decided to bat first in the brilliant sunshine.

The hero from that final, Dominic Cork, took the new ball and had some success in conceding only two runs in the first over. South African Rudolph showed all of his international class when he hit Dimitri Mascarenhas for a well guided four in the second over. Fellow opener Andrew Gale was in equally impressive form with a perfectly timed off drive off Mascarenhas.

Gale hit a delightful chip over Billy Taylor at mid-wicket for another boundary before pulling for four more in one expensive Mascarenhas over. He hit another pair of boundaries off Sean Ervine as Yorkshire passed the 50 mark. Gale, in spectacular form, soon reached his 10th half century as Yorkshire looked in aggressive mood.

A direct hit by Michael Carberry, for a possible run out, made Gale sweat but the third umpire made the correct decision in declaring him not out. Two balls later though, Gale (54 off 52 deliveries) was out; he mistimed a short Taylor delivery that fell kindly to Liam Dawson at short square leg for Hampshire’s first breakthrough. New man Adam Lyth and Rudolph continued to pile on the runs however and raced past the 100 mark in no time.

A piece of brilliant fielding by Mascarenhas saw the end of Lyth for 25. The batter tried to run a quick single to fine leg but the quick thinking captain managed to throw the ball to Dawson for a simple run out. Chris Benham was not to be outdone; a throw, whilst diving, to Tom Burrows saw the end of Jonathan Bairstow (1) for another run out in the next over.

Rudolph eventually hit his 37th half century as Hampshire’s spin combination of Imran Tahir, Dawson and Carberry slowed down Yorkshire’s run rate. Gerard Brophy hit the first six of the game as he moved down the pitch and hit Dawson over deep mid-wicket. Dawson got his revenge by bowling him for 34.

Rudolph hit a fine six before getting out the next ball. He tried to hit Tahir for consecutive maximums but mistimed it and was caught by Cork at mid-wicket for a well-played 79. Tahir picked up another wicket when Dawson brilliantly caught Richard Pyrah’s reverse sweep at deep square leg for 17.

Yorkshire Carnegie finished on 232 for 6.


(Full Match Report here - www.rosebowlplc.com)

LVCC: Hampshire v Warwickshire Day 4

Hampshire and Warwickshire head into the final day of this County Championship match with a draw as the probable outcome. Michael Carberry, who passed 6,000 First Class runs yesterday, showed no signs of slowing down as two consecutive fours from the second and third ball of the day added to his overnight 183.

Carberry soon broke a personal milestone by passing his previous First Class best of 192 by running two off Naqaash Tahir to keep Hampshire in a strong position. His previous best also came against Warwickshire.

Warwickshire managed to get themselves an early wicket when Michael Lumb, who just received a call up the England provisional squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, edged Boyd Rankin to Jonathan Trott at first slip for 20. Just two balls later Carberry surpassed yet another milestone; he scored his maiden double ton in First Class cricket off 260 balls by running a quick two off Tahir.

However he didn’t last much longer. Carberry’s wild swing outside off stump found a thick edge that fell to Ricky Clarke at point for Tahir’s first wicket of the match. Carberry finished on a career best 204 as Hampshire neared the 400 mark. John Crawley (14) soon departed as well; he was caught at second slip whilst poking outside off stump for Rankin’s second wicket.

Rankin almost had Sean Ervine caught and bowled but he couldn’t get a full hand to the ball. Rankin did get his third wicket of the morning soon after though when Liam Dawson (18) hooked to Jim Troughton for a simple catch. Rankin was giving Hampshire all kinds of problems, Dimitri Mascarenhas ducked into a bouncer that hit him through the grill and he retired hurt without scoring a run, however it has already been confirmed that he will be fit for the Friends Provident Trophy Final tomorrow.

Tom Burrows entered the fray to help to steady the ship but he was trapped lbw Chris Woakes without scoring a run. At lunch Hampshire were 390 for 6.


(Afternoon Session written by Michael Gales)


With only one session remaining the chance of this game ending in anything other than a draw would have been near impossible. However with the Friends Provident Trophy Final at Lord’s tomorrow it was an opportunity for Imran Tahir and Liam Dawson to get in some valuable overs. To their credit they took the new ball and bowled very tightly and accurately to limit the Warwickshire openers to quick singles.

Tahir had Tony Frost caught by Chris Tremlett for just 3 and then straight bowled England hopeful Ian Bell for a duck after he faced just six balls. An end to play was agreed with both sides gaining 11 points.

Warwickshire 484 for 7 and 23 for 2 drew with Hampshire 505 all out.

(Full Match Report here - www.rosebowlplc.com)

LVCC: Hampshire v Warwickshire

Hampshire went in search for early wickets on day 3 of this LV County Championship game against Warwickshire, as Jonathan Trott (140) and Chris Woakes (77), who dominated proceedings yesterday, looked to add more runs to their flourishing partnership.

The excellent Trott moved on to his 150 from 251 balls with a well timed four through the offside and with that Warwickshire claimed their fifth batting point passing 400.

When a breakthrough looked certain for Hampshire Imran Tahir somehow dropped Woakes after he skied James Tomlinson when the batter was just two short of his century. The subsequent Tomlinson over saw Woakes pass the hundred mark, for the first time in his First Class career, off an impressive 159 balls.

After a flurry of boundaries Warwickshire decided to declare on 484 for 7 to put Hampshire in to bat to face a few difficult overs before lunch. Trott finished 184 not out and Woakes 131 not out as the pair’s unbroken 222 run partnership put Warwickshire in a very dominant position.

Hampshire began their reply positively as openers Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams found runs relatively easy to come by in the bright sunshine. Carberry found the boundary many times in the early overs as the bowling attack of Naqaash Tahir and Boyd Rankin rarely threatened with the new ball.

The first change saw Chris Woakes enter the fray to see if he could break the developing partnership. Although Woakes did look more threatening, Carberry managed to turn on a sixpence to hit him for a big six to bring up Hampshire’s 50.

At lunch, Hampshire were 64 without loss with Carberry on 43 and Adams on 18.

The Hampshire openers resumed their innings after lunch with the imperative task of building on the 64 partnership they had crafted at the end of the morning session. Michael Carberry showed his intentions with the first delivery, when he nonchalantly drove the ball from Chris Woakes to the cover boundary for four.

Two overs later and the fluent stroke maker Carberry reached his half century with a well timed pull shot to the leg side boundary. His half century came from 57 balls including nine fours and one six. The 26th over saw the opening pair share a century partnership for the fourth time this season, the attacking style of Carberry (72) and the craftsman like innings of Jimmy Adams (26) frustrated the Warwickshire attack.

The Hampshire batsman continued their forceful batting manner; Carberry worked the ball around the ground, using a medley of batting strokes highlighted by a reverse sweep for four off spinner Ant Botha. As the sun continued to glare down on The Rose Bowl, the heat was evidently taking its toll on the Bears’ bowlers as they struggled to make a breakthrough.

In the 42nd over Michael Carberry continued with his impressive form, scoring his third first class century in four innings. His milestone was crafted in 116 deliveries and consisted of 16 fours and one six. By the time Adams reached his half century, running a delivery down to third man for a scampered two, Hampshire were 164 for 0 from 44 overs.

At the close of the afternoon session Hampshire had accumulated 191runs in a record opening partnership at The Rose Bowl. Maybe more significantly Carberry (113*) and Adams (65*) had gained valuable batting practice in time for Saturday’s Friends Provident Trophy Final.

More of the same followed after tea. Carberry, a brutal scavenger for wayward bowling, was having a field day hitting boundaries all over the place as the Warwickshire attack was out of sorts and entirely ineffective.

He and Adams were soon breaking records as well as the visitors’ patience as they passed the previous best partnership of 254 for any wicket at The Rose Bowl. Not long after though this partnership was unexpectedly broken from the unlikely source of Ian Westwood. The part-time off break bowler seduced Adams into hitting a loose delivery and the ball found Trott at cover who made a good catch for the first wicket of the day.

Michael Lumb entered the fray and could have been heading straight back. He mistimed a slow Westwood delivery that had wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose leading the appeals for lbw. Fortunately for Hampshire those appeals fell on deaf ears and Lumb scarpered a single a few balls later to get off the mark.

Hampshire brought up 300 in the 81st and the subsequent over saw Warwickshire take the new ball to look for a further breakthrough. The home side finished on 309 for 1 with Carberry unbeaten on 183, 10 short of making his highest First Class score, and Lumb on 15.

Match report by Steve Woodgate and Michael Gales

(Written for www.rosebowlplc.com)