A New Era: Hampshire County Cricket Club

[MateGaming]

THIS STORY IS CURRENTLY ON HOLD

With head coach Craig White stepping down over the winter, there is a new opportunity at Hampshire for a young coach to flourish, with an abundance of talent (yes, including a significantly large number of Kolpaks) at their disposal. Additions to the backroom staff in the form of Jimmy Adams and Alfonso Thomas have improved an already impressive coaching setup, at the stunning Ageas Bowl in Southampton.

Captain James Vince has been on the fringes of the England setup since his debut in 2016, and will be looking to perform well and force his way back into their side. Players such as Liam Dawson, Mason Crane, and perhaps even Sam Northeast will also be aiming to push for national honours in the near future.

An experienced, but ageing, bowling attack, including the likes of Kyle Abbott, Fidel Edwards and new signing Keith Barker, is likely to be the key to any potential success Hampshire have in the Championship, whereas their limited overs teams have also been strengthened, with the arrivals of James Fuller and Aneurin Donald during the winter.

However, there will also be pressure on younger batsmen to adapt quickly to unfamiliar surroundings. Joe Weatherley looks to be vital due to the lack of experienced openers at the club, and the likes of Tom Alsop and Mason Crane are set to have a potentially career-turning season ahead of them.

Overseas star Aiden Markram will be hugely important in the early season, including during the One Day Cup, whilst he'll be replaced by Ajinkya Rahane during the World Cup. Chris Morris is set for a spell at the club for the Vitality Blast this summer.

After club legends Jimmy Adams and Sean Ervine retired over the winter, it could be a potentially tough season for the South Coast side, although it seems that if the team starts well, there may be no stopping them.

[GrahamB]

All the best!

[MateGaming]

All the best!

Cheers, planning to start once the new db update is released. Will be keeping up with your Gloucs save too.

[MateGaming]

Hampshire Squad 2019

Openers	Batsmen	Wicketkeepers	All-rounders	Bowlers
Harry Came	Aneurin Donald	Tom Alsop	Gareth Berg	Kyle Abbott
Aiden Markram (overseas)	Sam Northeast	Lewis McManus	Liam Dawson	Keith Barker
Oli Soames	Ajinkya Rahane (overseas)		Ian Holland	Mason Crane
Joe Weatherley	Rilee Rossouw		Chris Morris (t20 overseas)	Fidel Edwards (FC only)
	James Vince (captain)		Felix Organ	James Fuller
			Tom Scriven	Ryan Stevenson
			Brad Taylor	Brad Wheal
				Chris Wood

In: Markram, Rahane, Morris (all overseas), Came, Soames (both academy), Barker (Warwickshire), Donald (Glamorgan), Fuller (Middlesex)
Out: Adams, Ervine (both retired), Topley, Dickinson, Hart, Sole (all released), Mujeeb (Middlesex), Munro, Amla, Steyn (overseas released)

[MateGaming]

1st April 2019: Oxford MCCU vs Hampshire
MCC University Match

Oxford MCCU won the toss and elected to bat first.

We begin the 2019 season with a three-day fixture against Oxford University. I used this match as an opportunity to try and gauge our strongest lineup, hence the inclusion of both Weatherley and Soames at the top of the order.
Oxford MCCU: Jon Carson, Ian Fallon, Jonathan Behm, Gerald Ashton, Nicholas Chai, Dominic French+, Charles Moore, Richard Nesdale, Noel Dwyer, John Meyer, Tony Levy
Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Oli Soames, James Vince*, Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Tom Alsop+, Gareth Berg, Keith Barker, Kyle Abbott, Fidel Edwards

Oxford MCCU 1st Innings: 125 (Fallon 44; Berg 4-17, Dawson 3-9, Abbott 3-22)
Hampshire 1st Innings: 505-9d (Weatherley 125, Soames 106, Vince 96, Alsop 73, Berg 65; Carson 4-106)
Oxford MCCU 2nd Innings: 183 (Behm 51; Dawson 3-26, Berg 3-32)

Result: Hampshire won by an innings and 97 runs
MOTM: Gareth Berg (Hampshire)

A very convincing win against a weak Oxford MCCU side. Most bowlers were very impressive with the ball, although Edwards and Barker picked up only one wicket between them in the match. A selection dilemma for the opening fixture, with both openers scoring centuries; with Markram arriving, one of them is likely to make way. Keith Barker made his Hampshire debut, becoming the 704th player to represent the club in a First Class fixture.

[MateGaming]

5th April 2019: Hampshire vs Essex
Specsavers County Championship Division One

Essex won the toss and elected to bat first.

Our Championship campaign begins against a strong Essex side who will be looking to push for high honours this season. Overseas star Aiden Markram replaces the unlucky Oli Soames, making his Hampshire debut and becoming the 705th player to represent the club in First Class cricket.

Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Aiden Markram, James Vince*, Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Tom Alsop+, Gareth Berg, Keith Barker, Kyle Abbott, Fidel Edwards
Essex: Alastair Cook, Nick Browne, Tom Westley, Ravi Bopara, Dan Lawrence, Ryan ten Doeschate, Adam Wheater+, Simon Harmer, Peter Siddle, Boyd Rankin, Jamie Porter

Essex 1st Innings: 300 (95.2 overs - Lawrence 105, Bopara 60; Berg 3-79)
Hampshire 1st Innings: 394 (114.4 overs - Vince 139, Markram 51; Porter 4-145)
Essex 2nd Innings: 109 (32.5 overs - Browne 40; Abbott 6-39, Edwards 3-26)
Hampshire 2nd Innings: 16-0 (10.2 overs)

Result: Hampshire won by 10 wickets
Points: Hampshire 23, Essex 5
MOTM: Kyle Abbott (Hampshire)

An excellent start to the Championship season: bowling was relatively average in the first innings but we batted well (Vince looks in wonderful early-season form). Abbott and Edwards then tore through the Essex lineup second time around, and it was left to the openers to complete an easy, but slow, chase. We received 23 points and sit third in the table, behind Somerset and Yorkshire, who both took maximum points from their opening fixtures.

[MateGaming]

11th April 2019: Hampshire vs Yorkshire
Specsavers County Championship Division One

Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat first.

Hampshire are unchanged from their win against Essex, as they face a strong Yorkshire side who have international talent at their disposal, and who took maximum points from their opening fixture, against Nottinghamshire.

Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Aiden Markram, James Vince*, Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Tom Alsop+, Gareth Berg, Keith Barker, Kyle Abbott, Fidel Edwards
Yorkshire: Fakhar Zaman, Adam Lyth, Joe Root, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Gary Ballance, Jack Leaning, Jonny Tattersall+, Adil Rashid, Ben Coad, Steve Patterson, Duanne Olivier

Hampshire 1st Innings: 323 (76 overs - Rossouw 132*, Berg 52; Rashid 3-61, Coad 3-82)
Yorkshire 1st Innings: 358 (107.1 overs - Fakhar 89, Lyth 80; Barker 5-76, Berg 3-55)
Hampshire 2nd Innings: 191 (60.2 overs - Alsop 61; Olivier 5-53, Rashid 3-47)
Yorkshire 2nd Innings: 157-4 (25.4 overs - Lyth 44)

Result: Yorkshire won by 6 wickets
Points: Hampshire 6, Yorkshire 23
MOTM: Duanne Olivier (Yorkshire)

After thrashing Essex, we were unfortunately unable to repeat the feat against Yorkshire. Relatively even at the halfway stage, thanks to spectacular performances by Rossouw and Barker, we fell apart in the second innings and Yorkshire raced to the low target at more than a run a ball. We go onto the One Day Cup now and we'll be looking to defend the trophy that we won last year. We are left third in the table on 29 points.

[MateGaming]

17th April 2019: Kent vs Hampshire
Royal London One Day Cup South Group

Kent won the toss and elected to bat first.

Hampshire begin their Royal London One Day Cup title defence against last year's finalists, Kent. Aiden Markram becomes the 206th player to represent the club in List A cricket, whilst James Fuller makes his Hampshire debut, becoming the 207th player to do so.

Kent: Daniel Bell-Drummond, Matt Renshaw, Heino Kuhn, Alex Blake, Sean Dickson, Darren Stevens, Adam Rouse+, Grant Stewart, Harry Podmore, Fred Klaassen, Adam Riley
Hampshire: Tom Alsop+, Aiden Markram, James Vince*, Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, James Fuller, Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood, Mason Crane

Kent: 341-6 (50 overs - Renshaw 129, Stevens 56*; Wood 2-51)
Hampshire: 343-4 (46.3 overs - Northeast 112, Markram 108, Rossouw 75*)

Result: Hampshire won by 6 wickets
Points: Kent 0, Hampshire 2
MOTM: Sam Northeast (Hampshire)

After winning the toss, Kent amassed a huge total thanks to a destructive hundred from Matt Renshaw, Wood and Crane the only bowlers to go at less than a run a ball. Then, a tricky run chase was made harder with the early losses of Alsop and Vince, the latter run out before facing a ball. However, a record-breaking third-wicket partnership between Markram and Northeast (worth 147) and hundreds for both of them, including a stunning century from just 73 balls from the former Kent man, made the task slightly easier. Rossouw then blazed 75* from 43 to see us home, also breaking Hampshire's highest score in List A fixtures against Kent.

[MateGaming]

19th April 2019: Hampshire vs Glamorgan
Royal London One Day Cup South Group
Glamorgan won the toss and elected to bowl first.

After an incredible run chase last time out, Hampshire are again unchanged as they face Glamorgan, who lost their opening fixture heavily.

Hampshire: Tom Alsop+, Aiden Markram, James Vince*, Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, James Fuller, Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood, Mason Crane
Glamorgan: Charlie Hemphrey, David Lloyd, Shaun Marsh, Billy Root, Nick Selman, Kiran Carlson, Chris Cooke+, Graham Wagg, Ruaidhri Smith, Marchant de Lange, Timm van der Gugten

Hampshire: 262-7 (50 overs - Vince 75, Rossouw 67*, Markram 53; vd Gugten 2-42)
Glamorgan: 158 (28 overs - Cooke 49; Dawson 3-29, Fuller 3-29)

Result: Hampshire won by 104 runs
Points: Hampshire 2, Glamorgan 0
MOTM: Rilee Rossouw (Hampshire)

Hampshire's batting never really got going, but thanks to fifties from Vince, Rossouw and Markram, they managed to get their way to a respectable total, which would be hard to chase on a deteriorating pitch. After Glamorgan were reduced to 34-3 and then 99-7, they never really looked like chasing the total down, and they were soon finished off in a much improved bowling performance. Hampshire sit top of the table; they are currently the only team to have won both games so far.

[MateGaming]

23rd April 2019: Hampshire vs Middlesex
Royal London One Day Cup South Group
Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat first.

Hampshire are once again unchanged as they take on Middlesex, who have had a good start to the competition themselves.

Hampshire: Tom Alsop+, Aiden Markram, James Vince*, Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, James Fuller, Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood, Mason Crane
Middlesex: Paul Stirling, Dawid Malan, Stevie Eskinazi+, Eoin Morgan, Nick Gubbins, Sam Robson, James Harris, Jhye Richardson, Ollie Rayner, Toby Roland-Jones, Tim Murtagh

Middlesex: 220 (45 overs - Morgan 60; Fuller 5-60, Crane 2-29)
Hampshire: 224-5 (47.1 overs - Markram 69, Northeast 48)

Result: Hampshire won by 5 wickets
Points: Hampshire 2, Middlesex 0
MOTM: James Fuller (Hampshire)

In another efficient bowling performance, Hampshire took regular wickets throughout (including a second career List A five-wicket-haul for former Middlesex all-rounder James Fuller) to restrict Middlesex to a below-par total. Hence, Hampshire could take their time during the chase, and eventually got home in the 48th over, to seal a third successive win and keep them on top of the table.

[Chris Child]

Nice match reports. Love it.

[GrahamB]

You're going great in the OD games so far. Impressive!

[MateGaming]

26th April 2019: Hampshire vs Gloucestershire
Royal London One Day Cup South Group
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Hampshire are again unchanged against a Gloucestershire side who have had a mixed start to their campaign, currently sitting in sixth.

Hampshire: Tom Alsop+, Aiden Markram, James Vince*, Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, James Fuller, Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood, Mason Crane
Gloucestershire: Chris Dent, Miles Hammond, Gareth Roderick+, Ian Cockbain, Jack Taylor, James Bracey, Ryan Higgins, Graeme van Buuren, David Payne, Dan Worrall, Ravi Patel

Hampshire: 341-9 (50 overs - Alsop 143, Markram 83; Taylor 5-65)
Gloucestershire: 103 (18.5 overs - Berg 7-31)

Result: Hampshire won by 238 runs
Points: Hampshire 2, Gloucestershire 0
MOTM: Tom Alsop (Hampshire)

After a record-breaking opening stand of 173, including an Alsop century from 93 balls (his 143 the new highest List A individual score for Hampshire against Gloucestershire, we could perhaps feel slightly disappointed to not have pushed on and scored a little higher: there were no substantial contributions from the middle and lower order. However, the visitors put up absolutely no fight in their reply, as they were skittled for just 103, Gareth Berg taking outstanding career-best figures of 7-31, which is also a Hampshire List A record.

[MateGaming]

28th April 2019: Essex vs Hampshire
Royal London One Day Cup South Group
Essex won the toss and elected to bat first.

Hampshire are unchanged for the fifth game running after hammering Gloucestershire. However, Essex lie just below Hampshire in the table so are likely to prove a tough opposition.
Essex: Varun Chopra, Tom Westley, Ravi Bopara, Ryan ten Doeschate, Rishi Patel, Feroze Khushi, Adam Wheater+, Matt Coles, Peter Siddle, Boyd Rankin, Jamie Porter
Hampshire: Tom Alsop+, Aiden Markram, James Vince*, Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, James Fuller, Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood, Mason Crane
Essex: 215 (43.5 overs - ten Doeschate 52; Wood 2-16, Fuller 2-22)
Hampshire: 219-1 (44.1 overs - Alsop 82*, Vince 80*)

Result: Hampshire won by 9 wickets
Points: Essex 0, Hampshire 2

MOTM: James Vince (Hampshire)

This team can do no wrong at the moment! Another dominant performance with the ball, in which every bowler took at least one wicket, Wood and Fuller with the standout figures. Two substantial partnerships, including 141* between Alsop and Vince saw us home comfortably in the 45th over. We don't even look like losing a game at the moment, how long will this form last?

[MateGaming]

30th April 2019: Surrey vs Hampshire

Royal London One Day Cup South Group

Surrey won the toss and elected to bowl first.

After five consecutive victories, Hampshire need one more win to all but guarantee a place in the knockout stages. James Vince has been called up by England, so Sam Northeast captains, with Aneurin Donald making his Hampshire debut and becoming the 208th player to represent the club in List A cricket.

Surrey: Jason Roy, Dean Elgar, Rory Burns, Mark Stoneman, Ollie Pope+, Will Jacks, Vic Birt, Jordan Clark, Rikki Clarke, Gareth Batty, Conor McKerr
Hampshire: Tom Alsop+, Aneurin Donald, Aiden Markram, Sam Northeast*, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, James Fuller, Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood, Mason Crane

Hampshire: 346 (49.5 overs - Markram 133, Dawson 53*, Northeast 49; Clarke 5-59)
Surrey: 224 (30 overs - Stoneman 74; Abbott 4-52, Dawson 3-51)

Result: Hampshire won by 122 runs
Points: Hampshire 2, Surrey 0
MOTM: Aiden Markram (Hampshire)

After being inserted on a tricky pitch and losing both openers early, we can be pleased with our total: Markram was outstanding with his second hundred in this competition, whilst Dawson smashed a late 53* from just 24 balls to get us up to a very strong target. Surrey scored quickly but we took regular wickets and Abbott quickly finished off the tail to leave us with six wins out of six ahead of the final two group games.