Hampshire CCC 2025

[Andrew Watson]

I hope Liam Dawson is okay after hurting his hand fielding off his own bowling in the T20 international tonight. He went straight off after completing his final over tonight on his home ground.

[Stu Man Do]

Another utterly awful game vs Surrey tonight. Never really in the game. Fuller going for loads of runs again and still feel like we’re a batter short in that line up.

[stevegrant]

Well that was abysmal tonight.

We've filled the team with so many allrounders that James Fuller looks at least two places too high at 6 and there's way too much pressure on the top order to go big. We probably gave them 20 easy runs in the powerplay which made the chase tougher than it needed to be, but no demons in the wicket and we just kept hitting the ball straight to fielders.

It didn't have any impact on the result, but having former Surrey all-rounder Ian Blackwell umpiring and not giving blatant wides against Mitch Santner or spotting the big front-foot no ball Chris Jordan bowled when he hit Fuller on the head doesn't do the "they're all neutral" argument many favours. Although he also missed two probable run-outs despite having access to the third umpire.

[Gloucester Saint]

That was one of the most one sided matches I’ve ever seen involving Hampshire - lots of leg-side slow rubbish, Dawson and Howell pulled it back slightly but 25-30 too many still. Wood - he was finished at first class white ball standard three years ago and has no knees. Why is he still under contract?

Then on a slow surface against far better bowling, too many onside swipes. 

Overall, can’t be too harsh as only Vince, Dawson and Brevis get in their team, and probably their seconds, but you’ve got to play with some discipline and focus.

Edited June 17 by Gloucester Saint

[Gloucester Saint]

10 minutes ago, stevegrant said:

Well that was abysmal tonight.

We've filled the team with so many allrounders that James Fuller looks at least two places too high at 6 and there's way too much pressure on the top order to go big. We probably gave them 20 easy runs in the powerplay which made the chase tougher than it needed to be, but no demons in the wicket and we just kept hitting the ball straight to fielders.

It didn't have any impact on the result, but having former Surrey all-rounder Ian Blackwell umpiring and not giving blatant wides against Mitch Santner or spotting the big front-foot no ball Chris Jordan bowled when he hit Fuller on the head doesn't do the "they're all neutral" argument many favours. Although he also missed two probable run-outs despite having access to the third umpire.

Weatherley is borderline in the top 5, and Albert’s been struggling to get it off the square in red ball. Surprised we had the decent start we have but can’t see us making the knock outs and staying up in red ball is the priority, maybe a One Day Cup run again with the kids.

[Lighthouse]

Well, that was dreadful but then Surrey do bat England internationals all the way through, then follow it up with the ball. We're going to need better players to make it to finals day in the next few years.

Hopefully this is the last season of Wood and Howell, complete mediocrity. As much as I like Brevis and Pretorius, we need a top international bowler in there somewhere. Wood, Currie, Turner and the all-rounders just isn't scaring anyone. Bring back Nelly.

[Picard]

Hants have signed Indian white ball specialist Tilak Varma for the next four championship games.

One wonders why they haven't signed him for the T20 as well. Perhaps that will come later.

[Weston Saint]

10 minutes ago, Picard said:

Hants have signed Indian white ball specialist Tilak Varma for the next four championship games.

One wonders why they haven't signed him for the T20 as well. Perhaps that will come later.

BCCI will not let any Indians play T20 cricket other than IPL to protect their competition so he will not be playing in Vitality Blast 

[Gloucester Saint]

11 minutes ago, Weston Saint said:

BCCI will not let any Indians play T20 cricket other than IPL to protect their competition so he will not be playing in Vitality Blast 

Should’ve guessed it would be that. Still, a welcome addition and let’s see how he does https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cx2v5yn4xdpo

[Hodgey]

When are the two SAs off for the international ? Assume after these 3 games Thu-Sun. Not really sure what our plan B will be then as the batting already looks very weak for the blast.

good news on the additional Indian batter for the championship - may be needed to stay up.

 

[Andrew Watson]

A positive move by the club,hopefully he scores plenty of runs.

[Picard]

1 hour ago, Hodgey said:

When are the two SAs off for the international ? Assume after these 3 games Thu-Sun. Not really sure what our plan B will be then as the batting already looks very weak for the blast.

good news on the additional Indian batter for the championship - may be needed to stay up.

 

They have got two more games. Sunday's game is already championship.

The next four championship games will be played with the Kookaburra ball. Any one know if that is advantageous for Hants or not?

[Lee On Solent Saint]

On course to get another humping tonight.

[Lighthouse]

Thanks for the memories Woody but…

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

On course to get another humping tonight.

Could still win but these need to be in close to the finish to do it.

Bollocks - Vince is out

Edited June 19 by Gloucester Saint

[Gloucester Saint]

19 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

Thanks for the memories Woody but…

He was finished 3-4 years ago and even Danny Ings has better knees. Hope nepotism isn’t keeping him on a contract. Grateful for his part in the cup wins and contribution overall but not sure he’d get in another county squad.

[Give it to Ron]

One of the worst bowling line ups Dawson apart. Dolly drop Wood was finished 3 years ago and only picked due to Bransgrove links

[Dusic]

Anoyher poor bowling display and hardly a new observation but jeez what a player Dewalt Brevis is. Surely will be a superstar player, hopefully in all formats for SA.

Doubt he will be available much in England going forward which is a shame - will hugely be missed the rest of this competition.

[Andrew Watson]

Wood, Fuller and Jack went for 138 in 10 overs, the latter will improve hopefully,Wood is finished at this level and Fuller bowls to many boundary balls. Pretorius played 20 dot deliveries, it is a tough ask for a youngster new to English conditions to open the batting. A very ironic situation we win our first 3 games and have not won in the last 4, when we normally start with a defeat or two and gradually improve.

 

[Lighthouse]

3 hours ago, Dusic said:

Anoyher poor bowling display and hardly a new observation but jeez what a player Dewalt Brevis is. Surely will be a superstar player, hopefully in all formats for SA.

Doubt he will be available much in England going forward which is a shame - will hugely be missed the rest of this competition.

TBH that sounds like a cracking toasted sandwich maker. We are seriously going to miss him though. I don’t know if we have more replacements lined up but we really need to find a decent bowler, then probably bring Orr in to fill the gap. We’ve badly missed Nelly in the last two year’s Blast, even if my cardiologist hasn’t forgiven him for that front foot no-ball.

[Hodgey]

Due to travel I only saw the bowling, but what was going on with our tactics to Smeed - banging them in right into his arch, seemed totally brainless. 
without Dawson and Howell that was going to be a 230 min score. Wood is too old, Fuller shouldn’t really be in a top level team, and the youngsters are a bit wayward.

On that pitch 210 was gettable, and looks like we started well but then slowed down and lost wickets as the required rate crept up. Once Brevis and Vince were gone that was it.

Closer game than Surrey though…
 

 

[Window Cleaner]

5 hours ago, Hodgey said:

Due to travel I only saw the bowling, but what was going on with our tactics to Smeed - banging them in right into his arch, seemed totally brainless. 
without Dawson and Howell that was going to be a 230 min score. Wood is too old, Fuller shouldn’t really be in a top level team, and the youngsters are a bit wayward.

On that pitch 210 was gettable, and looks like we started well but then slowed down and lost wickets as the required rate crept up. Once Brevis and Vince were gone that was it.

Closer game than Surrey though…
 

 

The commentators, Somerset people I think, kept on about our bowling tactics, said they were incomprehensible.

Vince plays shots, the two south Africans, whilst good to watch, err don't, long handle short format stuff, which is what you need I suppose. But a decent captain can set a field that will get them eventually.

Anyway, until we fix the bowling we won't have much chance against the better sides. Will probably win against Gloucs this evening though.

 

[Window Cleaner]

As I said, totally predictable, the old heave-ho over midwicket. 

[Hodgey]

They look so out of form - will they make 100 ?

[Window Cleaner]

WTF is this batting ?? One shot wonders and yet another caught heaving over midwicket.

Must be concentrating on the One Day cup, at least there'll be real cricketers.

[Window Cleaner]

Right, back to the serious stuff today.  Championship cricket. Erkk Chelmsford, no doubt a Harmer special wicket has been prepared. Some changes apparent in our 13. seems no Stoneman or Wheal, Barker not yet requalified I suppose. Jack and Orr get their chance perhaps. 

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Window Cleaner said:

Right, back to the serious stuff today.  Championship cricket. Erkk Chelmsford, no doubt a Harmer special wicket has been prepared. Some changes apparent in our 13. seems no Stoneman or Wheal, Barker not yet requalified I suppose. Jack and Orr get their chance perhaps. 

Wheal has been in decent form so presume injured. Stoneman was a cheap and not cheerful signing to blunt the new ball. Barker - a 38 year old out for a year isn’t going to transform the season. Orr surely has to come in and Albert out to play in the Hampshire leagues or perhaps loaned to Devon or Berkshire to get bat on ball in minor counties. Nowhere near first class standard this season so far annd can’t see him doing better on loan in D2 unless half a batting line up somewhere has broken their fingers. Eddie Jack only if the pitch looks like a Bunsen. Stick with Currie and Prest as need to bring younger players with ability through. 

Edited June 22 by Gloucester Saint

[Window Cleaner]

So, it seems that Essex have chosen to bat first. According to Cricinfo the new overseas batter and Turner didn't make the starting 11. two spinners included. 

Turner isn't going to make the grade is he !

[Window Cleaner]

Ah scrub that. only 10 Hampshire players on the cricinfo list. Tilly plays. 

Edited June 22 by Window Cleaner

[Andrew Watson]

Where would we be without Kyle Abbott ? Finally Orr gets a chance,I wonder whether he will get the rest of the season to settle in,after all Albert has had plenty of chances as has Tom Prest.

[Gloucester Saint]

Essex have got a few too many, brilliant yet again from Abbott. Batting line up looks deep right down to ten but top and middle order have got to show up this time as batting last will be tricky v Harmer and mustn’t concede a first innings deficit under any circumstances.

[Lighthouse]

What’s this idiot Tilak doing, staying at the crease all afternoon. He’s not wafting at nonsense outside off stump or anything. Get the coaches to have a word, if he doesn’t get out soon we’re in danger of three batting points.

[Gloucester Saint]

Superb debut by Tilak, hope he gets his hundred tomorrow. Making his point that he’s not just a white ball player and putting pressure on India’s new Test number three. Dawson 67 no and half-century for Middleton as well. Very good day today, need to follow it up tomorrow and build a good lead so not too many to chase batting last.

[Andrew Watson]

Maybe Hants best day of the season so far,if we can back it up tomorrow that would be excellent. Well done to KA,TV and LD.

[Lighthouse]

There is the three BP. As expected we’re going to fall just short of the max on overs played, but still a good team innings. Would be nice if we can push this lead up towards 200, bat them out of the game and tore them out in the field.

[stevegrant]

Proper weird innings, this. We were pretty fluid right up until about 5 overs from the bonus point cutoff at which point the runs have largely dried up, to the extent that Kyle Abbott has just hit our first boundary for 25 overs  

Haven't been watching as the test match is on, but surely it can only be as a result of Essex going all-out defence and putting numbers on the boundary and bowling negatively down the leg side, etc.

[John B]

On 22/06/2025 at 10:45, Window Cleaner said:

So, it seems that Essex have chosen to bat first. According to Cricinfo the new overseas batter and Turner didn't make the starting 11. two spinners included. 

Turner isn't going to make the grade is he !

No I thought the same as he practised at Lunchtime with Barker and Currie

 

Barker looked good and he said he would be playing next month

[John B]

21 hours ago, Andrew Watson said:

Maybe Hants best day of the season so far,if we can back it up tomorrow that would be excellent. Well done to KA,TV and LD.

Just returned from watching the game yesterday and today Middleton Brown Dawson and Milak played well

[John B]

7 hours ago, stevegrant said:

Proper weird innings, this. We were pretty fluid right up until about 5 overs from the bonus point cutoff at which point the runs have largely dried up, to the extent that Kyle Abbott has just hit our first boundary for 25 overs  

Haven't been watching as the test match is on, but surely it can only be as a result of Essex going all-out defence and putting numbers on the boundary and bowling negatively down the leg side, etc.

Very true Dawson and Prest put on 50 in 35 mins and then the runs dried up even Westley bowled four overs without a boundary to the relief of the Essex fans

[stevegrant]

Looking at today, Essex still 49 behind with 7 wickets left. If we can chisel out the first 3 or 4 of those before lunch then I think we'll have enough time to win it. Fail to do that and we probably don't leave ourselves enough time to chase what would then probably be a target of about 200.

[Window Cleaner]

Essex look to be trying to bat out the majority of the day. Might be a borefest as our bowlers don't look to be getting any sort of help from the pitch.

[Window Cleaner]

Why is Fuller bowling?  It's just free runs for Essex. What is the point of Organ exactly? Not bowling and he's a bit part batter at best. There must be someone more appropriate in the group of players. 

I am beginning to doubt Brown's captaincy to be honest.

[Andrew Watson]

Dawson and Abbott bowl their hearts out,Jack is young and extremely promising,but Organ and Fuller undo their good work by going around the park. I agree with WC about Brown as well,not a forceful enough leader,seems a bit too soft to hand out any rollickings that might be needed. I am sure that Ron Griffiths will know the answers.

[stevegrant]

Not sure you'll see any captain or coach of that sort of disposition these days, think it's been well proven by now that those types of "leaders" just don't work in the modern era.

[stevegrant]

The pitch seems to have just died on its arse today, don't think we've necessarily bowled badly (although Fuller's first spell today was pretty wayward) but it's been very easy for them to accumulate runs this afternoon. Frustrating as this is one of those games where we'd have targeted victory against a team below us, but we'll extend the gap to the relegation zone by a few bonus points, and we have Worcestershire home and away in the next three games.

[Window Cleaner]

14 minutes ago, stevegrant said:

The pitch seems to have just died on its arse today, don't think we've necessarily bowled badly (although Fuller's first spell today was pretty wayward) but it's been very easy for them to accumulate runs this afternoon. Frustrating as this is one of those games where we'd have targeted victory against a team below us, but we'll extend the gap to the relegation zone by a few bonus points, and we have Worcestershire home and away in the next three games.

Not really a question of relegation. We just seem so disorganised this season. Minor changements seem to throw us out of sync so easily, like our T20 campaign so far. But what irks me most is our tendency to try to shoe in players who are long past their useful shelf life all of the time. Weatherly, Organ, Wood should all be long gone let alone playing. There's also the question young players not really progressing. Still season is half over, roll on next season.

[Lighthouse]

I think we’ll file Tilak under ‘batting all-rounder’.

[stevegrant]

I'm led to believe that we are actively recruiting for NEXT season already. The rules in county cricket are utterly ridiculous, that counties are already allowed to talk to players with expiring contracts regarding signing for next season, so we've been doing that. It can't be all that helpful to their current teams, though - would imagine the non-Hundred counties have a lot of rolling contracts so will have most of their first XI up for renewal this winter, and if any of them have interest from elsewhere, it could be a big distraction.

[Window Cleaner]

6 minutes ago, stevegrant said:

I'm led to believe that we are actively recruiting for NEXT season already. The rules in county cricket are utterly ridiculous, that counties are already allowed to talk to players with expiring contracts regarding signing for next season, so we've been doing that. It can't be all that helpful to their current teams, though - would imagine the non-Hundred counties have a lot of rolling contracts so will have most of their first XI up for renewal this winter, and if any of them have interest from elsewhere, it could be a big distraction.

Problem of fixed term contracts in every sector.  Employment law in most countries allows you to start your research for a new job in the last 6 months of any fixed tem contract. Some countries even let you take a lot of time off to attend interviews etc.

[Picard]

Chris Lynn signed for the remaining 6 T20 games.