Hampshire CCC Season 2013

No play today - shame. Grace Road is a dump, alas. We now have a wonderful ground by comparison. It certainly merits first division cricket!

Innings forfeitures galore yesterday and today in both divisions, and looks like we're well positioned to win now.

Win confirmed, by 180 runs

Win!

Bloody hell, that happened quick, completely missed their whole innings... nice one Hants.

Carberry makes the Ashes Squad.

ENGLAND ASHES SQUAD

Cook, Prior, Anderson, Bairstow, Ballance, Bell, Broad, Carberry, Finn, Panesar, Pietersen, Rankin, Root, Stokes, Swann, Tremlett, Trott.

Briggs and Vince are in the Performance Squad that will be in Australia until the end of the third Test as well.

Very pleased about Michael Carberry. I hope he gets a chance and does well.

Got a mailshot from Hampshire regarding 2014 membership, some of the prices are an absolute joke

£215 for the most basic membership that gets you into every county game. Even Surrey's equivalent is only £188

Got a mailshot from Hampshire regarding 2014 membership, some of the prices are an absolute joke

 

£215 for the most basic membership that gets you into every county game. Even Surrey's equivalent is only £188

We're doing OK against Essex - we have them at 105 for 4. You never know we might even bowl them out and force the follow on.

158-5 currently... strong position but we know what can happen to tail-enders vs Hampshire!

170/7 at tea. Essex need 400 inside 110 overs to still be in with a chance of promotion. Anything less than that and Northants are up.

207ao... Coles with figures of 19.1-5-71-6

207ao... Coles with figures of 19.1-5-71-6

sounds promising if he can get among the wickets on a regular basis next season then unless of course he's just on a temporary contract.

170/7 at tea. Essex need 400 inside 110 overs to still be in with a chance of promotion. Anything less than that and Northants are up.

Well they failed. Strangely, even though promotion was a long shot, they rested Ravi Bopara, David Masters and Reece Topley for this match. WTF? I guess their next match 7 months from now must be very important.

Well they failed. Strangely, even though promotion was a long shot, they rested Ravi Bopara, David Masters and Reece Topley for this match. WTF? I guess their next match 7 months from now must be very important.

I guess it's one of those situations where it was always highly unlikely they'd be able to catch Northants (who only needed 5 points anyway, even if Essex won the game with maximum bonus points), and they've got a lot of fringe players playing for contracts next year. Bopara, Masters and Topley are big players for them, and the management know what they can do, so give an opportunity to others in the final game to stake a claim for next year.

Fair to say they've not taken that opportunity.

Saj Mahmood's figures in our innings are hilarious. 15-0-112-2 (7.46 per over!) with 13 no balls and a wide thrown in for good measure

Am I right in thinking we've already got a deal to sign Coles for next season after his loan spell?

Am I right in thinking we've already got a deal to sign Coles for next season after his loan spell?

Coles is definitely a talent but he is flawed. It is suggested he would not listen to Kent coaches on fitness and training. He is a bit overweight and he was sent home from Lions tour last year for disciplinary reasons - think it was late night drinking. Matt needs to sort himself out and mature a bit.

I have spoken to him and he seems a pleasant enough individual.

Worth us signing him on talent alone but Hampshire need to get a commitment from him that he will buckle down. He is young and pleanty of room for him to mature his attitude.

So we finish the season with back to back wins in what has been a very disappointing Championship season.

Two semi finals in the one dayers has softened the blow but whilst the club want to do well in this format as it brings in the punters and much needed income the main aim was to gain promotion.

My personal review of the Championship season players

Adams

Poor season for him with the bat. Two big scores mask the fact he had 7 ducks in the Championship and only 833 runs at 39.66. As captain he is a bit lacking in tactical knowhow when things are not going well but always willing to negotiate to get a chance of a result. 5/10

Carberry

Only 687 runs at 42.93 and only one century in 16 innings is disappointing. However he has missed 5 matches. An England call up in all forms of the game is well deserved for a very focussed and hardworking player. 6/10

Dawson

What a season he has had at number 3. 1031 runs at 49.09 is a fine effort. He just needs to get a few more big scores and he must get picked for the Lions next season. Only one 100 but eight 50’s and he is our best fielder (second slip) with 23 catches. He can bowl a bit as well but not used much as his batting and slip fielding need a high level of concentration. 8/10

McKenzie

A class player and we will miss him. 433 runs at 48.11 in only 6 matches. 7/10

Vince

Just pips Dawson as my player of the season. Has matured this season scoring consistently with four 100 and six 50’s. 1101 runs at 61.16. This season he has also shown what a few of us thought he could. An occasional back up seamer. 9 wickets at 44.00 might not seem much but it gives the skipper another player to turn to for something different. Good fielder too with 16 catches. 9/10

Ervine

Poorish season for him but still an important part of the team at No 6. Only 458 runs at 25.44 is below the standards he has set himself and no 100’s to his name this season! In fact only four 50’s in 19 innings. Bowling wise he was used sparingly and took 17 wickets at 33.94. Good first slip fielder with 20 catches to his name. 5/10

Wheater

The club always denied that they had promised him the WK gloves for the season despite both Essex and himself saying they did. I am told he bought out the remainder of his contract with Essex to join us. He is an ok wicket keeper and his batting whilst good in bits does not, in my opinion, justify Bates omission. 585 runs at 36.56 with two 100’s but only one 50 is ok but no more than that. 18 catches and 2 stumpings in 17 innings is not flattering when compared with Bates 16 catches in 8 innings. 6/10

Wood

His batting has improved but he will come under pressure from Coles if he signs. 256 runs at 23.27 is a bit low for the all-rounder slot at No 8. However he is in the side as a bowler and 15 wickets at43.93 are less than flattering. 5/10

Balcombe

Really disappointing season and his place is very much at risk. 22 wickets at 50.04 is one of the reasons we have struggled to bowl sides out. Shame because he is a nice chap, works hard and rarely gets any luck. 4/10

Briggs

Not really done much this season. 22 wickets at 36.27 is moderate to say the least. Batting has improved averaging 27.11. Not bad for a number 10. 5/10

Tomlinson

Stand out bowler for us. 53 wickets at 24.16 8/10

Other bit players

Coles

Has done well in the 5 games he has played. 21 wickets at 24.00 and a batting average of 29.5. 7/10

Bates

I have said enough in the past about him. Should be automatic choice but his batting is still suspect although he has scored a few centuries in the 2nds.. Some of the catches he took down the leg side in the last few games most wicket keepers including Wheater, would not have taken. Hope the club recognise this. On wicket keeping alone 9/10

Terry

Too his chance in the last 2 games he played with 50 in each. Hopefully he will get a new contract. The whispers from the Ageas Bowl look positive in that respect. 7/10

Roberts

Has failed to step up from Minor Counties cricket in my opinion. Doubt we will see him next year! 4/10

Taylor

Only 16 so one to watch. Unfair to rate him on one game

That was a great way to finish the season but what a shame we didn't do a bit better earlier on. Looking at the table one more win and extra points, or two more wins would have secured promotion. I think we need a bit of a shake up for next season - we have some real talent but are lacking in some departments. Coles looks like he could be a good addition if we can get him.

I think the team needs a bit of a shake up to be honest, hopefully we sign Coles and Braithwaite has looked ok but I'm not sure why we'd keep Ervine, Balcombe, and we are top loaded with too many one day players (Briggs, Wood etc). Like to see us get a front line spinner, play Wheater at 5 and keep Bates as the WK

Do we have any youth players who can step up, look at teams like Yorkshire and their rate of producing players out of their academy is astonishing

He didn't have a great season but Ervine has still been a top player for us over recent years so well worth keeping. Brathwaite is already signed for next year but has been pretty unconvincing so far so I doubt will be a regular. Coles needs to be signed up on the strength of the last couple of performances. Another class seamer is a must (maybe an experience Aussie like Glamorgan have in Hogan and Sussex have in Macgoffin) but otherwise I think our squad isn't that disastrous. Batting looks fine with Carberry, Adams, Vince and Dawson around but Tomlinson needs some support on the bowling front. Counties' budgets are being squeezed and the Kolpak option is more restricted than it was previously so it's getting harder and harder to improve squads with imports from elsewhere.

We are pretty decent at producing youngsters and sometimes it's easy to forget that the likes of Dawson, Vince, Bates, Wood and Briggs are still very young. To have that many home-produced players in their age bracket playing regularly isn't that common across the circuit.

The overseas player is likely to be Faulkner. Not a done deal yet. We would like to have signed Watson but he wants next summer off. Harris would be happy to play in England next year but only for a 1st Div side!

Listening to Coles today I think he is close to signing. Should know within a few days.

The overseas player is likely to be Faulkner. Not a done deal yet. We would like to have signed Watson but he wants next summer off.

I thought we were skint!

The overseas player is likely to be Faulkner. Not a done deal yet. We would like to have signed Watson but he wants next summer off. Harris would be happy to play in England next year but only for a 1st Div side!

 

Listening to Coles today I think he is close to signing. Should know within a few days.

Hope we get Faulkner, very good young All rounder who will have a good ashes I reckon

Faulkner would be good, but surely will endup missing huge chunks of the season?

Faulkner would be good, but surely will endup missing huge chunks of the season?

Australia have no fixtures during our summer season!

None at all? That would make Faulkner an excellent signing then.

No we took him on loan until the end of the season. We are in talks but nothing agreed. Derbyshire are after him as well. Their rich chairman may win the day!

Now signed on a three year deal

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24298261

Now signed on a three year deal

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24298261

Great news

Signing Will Smith from Durham apparently. Given the speculation about whether Jimmy Adams would stay as captain does this mean Smith comes as skipper for next season? He won three championships with Durham, including one as captain. Looks like we're really going for promotion next year

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/10706118.Hampshire_to_sign_Will_Smith/

Will Smith signs a 2 year contract. Presume he will bat at 4

Hamza Riazuddin has retired from First Class cricket as expected. Never really got going. Very intelligent lad from a good family. He will succeed outside of cricket.

Adam Rouse, Jack Sheppard, Michael Roberts and Jake George. I knew Adam and Michael were going to be released. Never saw anything of Jack & Jake!

Sean Terry given 2 year contract.

Rouse seemed to be rated very highly at one point, but I guess the signing of Adam Wheater had a knock-on effect for him as well as Michael Bates.

Anyone else heard Ravi Bopara rumour??

Ravi? God forbid

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10717668.Ageas_Bowl_contractor_goes_into_liquidation/

Whoops...

The Faulkner deal is very close to be finalised.The club is determined to get promoted next season and apparently we were in talks with Bopara but so far nothing has come of it. TBF we have been in talks with quite a few players people might be surprised about, as far as the building work is concerned we are also close to sorting that out.

Surprised that Adams is captain again next year!