Weston Saint

Reason why Vince took time to get started and needed treatment part way through - At training during the day he got a ball come off his bat and hit his throat. He had difficulty speaking straight after but recovered enough to play. There are other issues that I am not prepared to go into as they are private. They all leave at 10am today to travel up to Edgbaston. No team news as yet.

He did not have a Nivea contract. Liverpool did and under terms of his contract with Liverpool he had to support any advertising initiative.

I see this thread is descending, like many others, into speculative, ill informed, prejudicial and unsubstantiated comments. Why am I not surprised!

So Wood and Howells bowled very well. Take that those of you wrote them off. Good recovery from Hampshire.

Abbas unwell. Neser in. Orr out with back injury and Albert takes his place.

I am told Tom Prest has a fractured shoulder!!

Abbas has a sickness, not injury. Not been able to find out why Turner not picked although he did play all three days of the second eleven match that finished yesterday. I am assuming with Abbas and Barker out they felt Wheal offered a little more experience. Turner will get his chance.

We are also 2 overs behind the over rate so will face 2 points deduction if we do not bowl again and catch up!

John Turner is in the 13 for Surrey tomorrow along with Brad Wheal after his game with Glamorgan. Other 11 are unchanged.

Comments on here about Abbott and Abbas. They were not given a contract for this year, they were already under contract. I suspect if they were not, one would not have received a contract this season. We would have looked at an overseas batsman. Dean Elgar was mentioned but he would have been very expensive. Anyway we could not go for him this year. We have also suffered in the bowling by the absence of Keith Barker, out injured. He has a knee injury that was recovering until he injured it again! Due a procedure which, if successful, will mean him playing soon. If it is not they he will be out for a long time. Turner was practicing at lunch on Friday so hopefully not too far away

12 man squad for Durham. Turner and Barker still have knee injuries James Vince (14) Captain Muhammad Abbas (38) Kyle Abbott (87) Ben Brown (10) Liam Dawson (8) James Fuller (26) Nick Gubbins (31) Ian Holland (22) Fletcha Middleton (19) Ali Orr (27) Tom Prest (24) Brad Wheal (58)

Ah, he will be here for beginning of the season. Always just a few days before.

Bas? If you mean Keith Barker, he will be available according to the coach at the forum

Dawson Liam Dawson on Test career prospects - 'I don't want to be running drinks for England at my age' | ESPNcricinfo

As widely predicted, Michael Naser (Australia) has signed for first 8 games of T20 for Hampshire. He will be available for all forms during that period. I wonder if that is because Nathan Ellis may be in the Australian T20 squad for that same period. I suspect Abbas will be away during that period as previous seasons so we have covered our Championship games during that same period with Naser.

Was man of the match for previous game

Telegraph CRICKET NEWS CORRESPONDENT and Nick Hoult, CHIEF CRICKET CORRESPONDENT 10 January 2024 • 6:43pm Hampshire County Cricket Club’s majority shareholder is in advanced talks to sell his stake to the part-owners of Indian Premier League team Delhi Capitals. Telegraph Sport understands that Rod Bransgrove is close to agreeing a deal to sell to GMR Group, who part-own Delhi Capitals. The deal would be a landmark moment and make Hampshire the first county to be owned by an overseas franchise. Insiders believe the benefits of buying a county for GMR include a foothold in the English game, an opportunity to develop its own players, and “first-mover advantage” when Hundred franchises are put out for investment. Among the options being explored by the ECB is handing over a 50 per cent share in the Hundred teams – in the Ageas Bowl’s case, Southern Brave – to the host county, to sell to investors if they wish. According to Back From The Brink, a book about Bransgrove’s time at Hampshire published last year, the business – which includes the Test match hosting Ageas Bowl, a hotel, golf course and the club – was valued at around £100 million, but also carries £60 million of debt. Bransgrove, widely heralded for saving Hampshire in his 23 years in charge, stepped down as chairman at the end of last year, but remains the majority shareholder – holding more than 60 per cent of the shares – of the business.

BBC Radio Solent reports that seamers Michael Neser (Australia) and Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan) are set to join Hampshire for the T20 Blast.

I can tell you that if he was picked he would have gone but he was hoping he did not have to make the decision. The quote from Key is exactly what his Mum said to me at the end of the season.

The Cricketer now reporting "Hampshire set to sign Sussex opener Ali Orr" Now confirmed by Hampshire.

Update but only a rumour so far that Alistair Orr, Sussex Wicket Keeper and upper order Batsman may be joining us. I stress it is only a rumour from a Sussex message board at this stage.

Difficult situation for batting line up. We cannot go for an overseas player because we have Abbott and Abbas in final year of their contract for 2024 We have experienced batsmen in Vince, Dawson and Brown who may only have a few years left so we need to look long term to deal with that. We have good prospects in Middleton, Albert and Prest and that is why they have been featuring this past year. If we push a new batsman in place of any of them it is going to cost a large sum in wages, something the club cannot sustain whilst others are still on the books. Organ, Crane, Weatherly and Holland have contracts until the end of 2024 season. I think we are going to have to muddle through next season in the Championship to give the youngsters another year experience, providing the club think they have a future. We still have a great bowling attack in Abbott, Abbas and Barker to get us out of trouble during the season so we should stay comfortably in Division 1

He is actually an ex Saints Academy Goalkeeper who emigrated to Canada.

Frank's Cousin is alive and well and living in the Scottish Borders with his wife and child. Heard from him at the beginning of this month.

No. we finished 4 points behind Essex after the 3 point deduction.