Hampshire Comment: Batsmen Shine for the Royals

Looking at Twitter in the build-up to Hampshire's trip to Yorkshire last week, I noticed some comments questioning the Hants batting order. Sure, it's been difficult at times at the start of this season, but it’s not time for wholesale changes yet, is it?

Hampshire won the toss at Headingly last Wednesday and took the positive decision to bat first, and with the batting conundrum in mind one hoped that they'd get off to a good start, for their own sakes if nothing else!

They didn't of course, as Yorkshire reduced them to 83 for 4 with Adams, Dawson, Carberry and Vince all out cheaply. And it was the failings of Liam Dawson and James Vince that brought about most debate, having both struggled with the bat this season.

In Liam Dawson's case though, there's more to consider than just his batting. Daws has been quite superb fielding at slip this summer, having taken 15 catches so far including a Hampshire equalling record of 7 in one match, against Northants at Wantage Road at the start of May. His left arm spin has also been a massive plus for the side, taking 3 more wickets in his 19 overs against Yorkshire at only 3.2 runs an over, a bowling prowess that has forced England hopeful Danny Briggs out of the side in recent weeks.

If Daws is struggling opening up the batting, would it pay to move him down the order a bit, with perhaps Michael Carberry opening with Jimmy Adams instead? To me, Dawson is the most in-form all rounder Hampshire have, and he will surely stay in the side.

For James Vince it's slightly different. Other than a dogged 46 against Northants three weeks ago, and then 83 in the CB40 success over the Welsh Dragons in the same weekend, Vince has also struggled for runs this season. However, other than a couple of token overs against Northants and Leicestershire, Vince isn’t really an option with the ball. Added to that, Bilal Shafayat is waiting in the wings after a hugely promising 93 against Derby on debut last week, all of which means Vince in particular needs a score to consolidate his place in the side, and quickly.

And he could take a leaf out of Australian Simon Katich if he likes, with the Kat finding his rhythm in Yorkshire, scoring a glorious 196 in the first innings at Headlingly, followed by an undefeated 61 in the second. Many predicted Katich would be LV Division Two leading run scorer this season and with a few more performances like that, he won't be far off.

Katich, ably assisted by first Sean Ervine (44) and then wicket keeper batsman Michael Bates, who scored the first century of his career in this match, lead the Royals to a respectable first innings total of 427 all out. Bates who scored 103, is starting fulfil the potential many hoped he would at the start of the season, stepping into the departed Nic Pothas’ shoes not only with the gloves, with which he has been outstanding thus far, and with knocks of 87 against Gloucestershire and now 103 against Yorkshire, his batting is on point too.

Just a note on the Yorkshire batting while we're at it. Having been reduced to 32 for 3 in their first innings, the home side rallied, with Phil Jaques (93) and Gary Ballance (76) scoring a 149 run 4th wicket stand, before Anthony McGrath scored a wonderful 106, guiding his side to 399 for 9 declared. McGrath, a loyal Yorkshire pro batted wonderfully showing a great deal of resolve in his 251 ball innings.

Liam Dawson was the leading wicket taker for Hampshire with 3 wickets but Kabir Ali, taking another two for the Royals at Headingly, is beginning to find his rhythm having recently returned from an ankle injury sustained on Hampshire’s pre-season tour of Barbados. If Kabs can stay free of injury for the rest of this season and bowl to his potential, he could be a massive asset to Hampshire’s bowling attack.

Hampshire scored 191 for two in the second innings with Michael Carberry (61) amongst the runs with Katich. It was enough to secure a draw against undefeated Yorkshire, earning the Royal’s 10 championship points to take them to fifth in the Table. With Ali, Balcombe and Dawson standing out as the pick of Hampshire’s bowlers so far this season, a consistent batting line up would make Hampshire’s push for promotion all the more realistic.

Shiv the Selfish, Really?

And so England's international cricketing summer is up and running, with the West Indies facing the best test team in the world at the Home of Cricket this week.

The weather has been decidedly moist in England over the past few weeks but remarkably it stayed dry for whole of the first day at Lords, and a packed house was treated to some fine cricket.

Jimmy Anderson, proclaimed the ECB player of the year earlier this week dominated early on with the ball, teeing Kieron Powell up with a textbook out-swing, in-swing combination, before some nice stroke play from Barath and the hyperbole-drenched Darren Bravo - who was relentlessly compared to one Brian Charles Lara all day on Twitter - steadied the ship before lunch.

It was in the afternoon session however that another of the world's best took to the field and caused a bit of consternation amongst the cricket establishment. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, statistically the world's finest batsman and lynchpin to this inexperienced West Indies batting line up, took to the field and scored in the context of the game a very valuable 87 out of the West Iindies overnight total of 243 for 9.

So, Shiv the West Indies hero once again, one shouldn't wonder? Well maybe not. Chanderpaul stuck to the task of carrying the Windies middle and lower order through to close, but a couple of wickets fell that commentators felt the "Tiger" was more than a little responsible for.

Firstly, when partnering Lara's cousin Darren Bravo, Chanderpaul refused a straight forward run that Bravo had called him through for from the non-strikers end. It was probably Bravo's call, the ball going slightly behind square, but you could argue Bravo could have been more observant - Shiv never moved for the run.

Secondly, in the last over of the day Chanderpaul called Kemar Roach through for a single, exposing the tail-ender to the last balls of the day. Roach perished, leaving the West Indies 243 for 9 overnight.

Of course you could say Chanderpaul was protecting himself so that he could bat for another hour on day two. He didn't, with debutant Gabriel out first ball on day two, but had Chanderpaul batted through the first hour say on Friday morning, it might have been a different story.

Test cricket is about spending time in the middle too don't forget. Had Chanderpaul not scored those runs and the West Indies had been rolled over before close yesterday, England would already be piling on the runs by now. As it was England's bowlers knew they had to come back in the morning and finish a job. It makes a difference.

One criticism of Shiv is that he bats at five in the order and sure, he could and maybe should bat higher up the order. But he is the anchor of the West Indies side; those around him know he'll stick around. If the top 4 score a few, great - Chanderpaul comes in and can be more aggressive. Should they fail, as is the more likely (sadly), then at least Shiv can stick around with the tail, getting something resembling a competitive score on the board.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy has said that if it benefits the team, he will move Shiv up the order. You have to trust the skipper here too - you'd hope it's his choice that Chanderpaul is batting at five and not not the choice of his most senior player, but only those in the dressing really know the answer to that.

All in all England will feel confident of posting a big innings here at lords. The wicket doesn't have a great deal of pace in it and you wonder how au fait the West Indies bowling attack will be with these chilly, seaming conditions but for me, without Shiv's knock, they'd be buried in this match already.

Jimmy Anderson Raring to go Against West Indies

Very nearly 9 years ago to the day, a young Lancastrian with a wild mane that made KP's "badger mullet" look like a short back n' sides burst onto the international scene. His name was James Michael Anderson and his objective was to become the finest fast bowler his country would see for a generation.

Anderson was an instant England success taking a five wicket haul on debut against Zimbabwe at Lords in 2003. He was an archetypal England county cricketer, bowling with swing at a decent lick of pace, taking a shed load of wickets in the process.

Things obviously progressed apace for the Burnley Express until England's coaches decided to meddle with his unconventional bowling action. Duncan Fletcher and then bowling coach Troy Cooley believed his action could cause injury later in his career, but a drastic re-engineering of his technique brought about, ironically, an injury in the shape of a stress fracture to the back.

Anderson suffered a four month injury layoff but with time, reverting back to his old technique and the help of subsequent bowling coach Ottis Gibson, now West Windies coach ironically (Alanis Morrisette would love this story...) Anderson re-discovered the swing that had brought him so much success in the past.

Talking about his injury to BBC chief sports writer Tom Fordyce, Anderson said, "It's difficult enough bowling when you're not thinking about your action, but when you're thinking about where your arms and legs are going, it's impossible"

Once he had his groove back on of course Anderson was in business, and since that period he's never looked back, having taken 258 wickets for his country in his career to date.

On the doomed 2006 tour of Australia Anderson struggled, conceding 81 runs for every wicket he took. He was unplayable in British conditions, swinging balls around corners at times, but without that movement and assistance on foreign soil the Lancastrian struggled for consistency and found it harder to take wickets.

As a result, Anderson went away and mastered the art of reverse swing, learnt how to bowl with a scrambled seam and worked on bowling a disciplined, probing line outside off stump so that at the very least he could be tight and consistent when away from Blighty.

The first tour for the remodelled James Anderson was Australia 2010 and as we all know now, Anderson and Co blew the opposition away, bowling as a unit and building pressure on their hosts to almost unbearable levels. The Aussies expected more inconsistency from a bowler they expected to struggle once more, what they got was a bowler who could move the ball both ways off the seam and off the pitch. He was now the finished article as world class fast bowlers go, a level he has remained at ever since.

The West Indies are next up for England with the first test beginning at Lords on Thursday. Anderson goes into game not only the spearhead of the best fast bowling unit in world cricket but also as the ECB's Cricketer of the Year having picked up the award at Lords earlier this week - richly deserved as I'm sure you will all agree.

Anderson will lead the line as he has done with aplomb for the past 2 years now, ably assisted by Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan or perhaps Steven Finn at the home of cricket. They will hunt as a pack and push the West Indies batsmen to the limits of concentration.

Plus the ball will seam, and Jimmy will love that of course.

Hampshire comment: Stalemate against Falcons

The end of the football season showed us cricket lovers a few things. One is the delight we can all share in the fact that a Joey Barton equivalent doesn't exist in the sport. The other is that, in its purest form, the exhilaration of success and devastation of failure are what makes sport what it is; the greatest entertainment on earth.
 
And it was with the Premier League's Mancunian dichotomy in mind that I chose to reflect on the bore draw between Hampshire and Derbyshire this weekend - probably not my smartest moves.
 
And sure, losing two full days of cricket to rain as we did at the Ageas Bowl last week was never going to be conducive to achieving a result in this match, and so it came to pass with the game petering out into a tepid draw on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
 
During the deluge of rain on day 1, Hampshire announced the signing of former Nottinghamshire batsman Bilal Shafayat on a short-term, pay-as-you-play type arrangement. The response on Twitter was immediate, with pundits acknowledging that the former England under-19 batsman had the talent to succeed at the highest level if he could apply himself. A 164 run partnership on day three with skipper Jimmy Adams would certainly have endeared him to his new employers, although he's been scoring bucket loads of runs in Hampshire's Second XI in recent weeks, so perhaps they weren't entirely surprised?
 
If Shafayat's performance was pleasing to manager Giles White then he must have been absolutely delighted when Captain Jimmy Adams scored 122 on the same day. Adams' highest score before this match this season was 13 and the opener showed guile as well as a classic display of driving en route to three figures. Critics had been rounding on the skipper before this match, making the timing of this innings – coming on the back of a two- match absence – all the sweeter.
 
It spurred his side on to 352-8 on Friday, a decent total although concerns over the way the middle order folded were present again, despite packing the line up with seven specialist batsmen, Sean Terry batting at seven. His form (he managed just 3) will be of concern and with Michael Carberry returning to the side this week against Yorkshire and with Shafayat excelling, Terry will almost certainly make way.
 
Hants declared overnight having first tried to negotiate a run chase with Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen for day four. A double second innings forfeiture was discussed by the captains, as was smaller, aggregated total. Neither could be agreed upon and thus a batting procession ensued with Derbyshire on the hunt for batting bonus points. You can hardly blame them. Sitting top of the table and with their closest challengers, Yorkshire, chasing an unlikely 400 for victory in their game with Gloucestershire, Derby didn't need to take any risks. Yorkshire won though, and one would imagine that if Derby miss out on promotion this season, this might be the result that cost them. We shall see.
 
In any event, Hampshire played Kabir Ali and James Tomlinson for the first time this season and both took 3 Derbyshire wickets as the home side tried desperately to take wickets, but with only 3 front line bowlers played - Hamza Riazuddin, James Griffith and Chris Wood all missed out here - bowling the visitors out was always going to be a near on impossible ask.
 
And quite what Hants first choice bowling attack is now is anyone's guess, with Balcombe demoted to first change as Ali and Tommo opened.
 
So for Hants, some good batting practice and another shake up in the bowling department which leaves us, well I don't know where. You would imagine Wood will return this week for Yorkshire, whilst the on-going early season conditions may mean Danny Briggs has to sit on the side-lines for a bit longer.
 
But all in all it was a rather sub-optimal end to this game. There's an acceptance that four day cricket is traditional and many people are content with that, but on days where a result is impossible, frankly, what's the point?

Hampshire Comment: Finding a Balance

One of the biggest challenges for any county cricket club is having a squad that can be competitive in all three disciplines of the game. Counties at least can recruit high-profile overseas players for the Friends Life T20 tournament, ensuring exciting cricket for packed houses and TV audiences alike.

The other two disciplines need to be considered as well though, with the LV County Championship still the cornerstone of the English domestic game ad Clydesdale Bank 40 overs cricket offering participants another chance of silverware.

For Hampshire, their 4-day game has come up short  in recent years whilst failure in the CB40 format has really only left the Friends Life T20 tournament as a possible avenue to success, one they took in 2010 of course. 

It was perhaps refreshing then that the Royals hit the ground running in the aforementioned 40 over competition, beating Glamorgan by 48 runs via Duckworth-Lewis in their first match of the campaign on Monday.

Michael Carberry (60) and James Vince (83) drove Hampshire home at the Ageas Bowl with a 142 run opening partnership which had the watching faithful asking, why can't they do that in LV Division Two matches? 

Of course the disciplines are different, of course they are. The white ball comes onto the bat harder, the use of power plays, the field restrictions are all factors, but when these two batted on Monday with skill and class it highlighted the talent Hampshire possess in the batting department - if only it could be demonstrated more consistently in championship matches. 

Well, maybe this will be Hampshire's week against Derbyshire in their LV Division Two match starting at the Ageas Bowl today, but they will have to do without the in-form Carberry as he is in the England Lions squad for the match against the West Indies starting at Wantage Road tomorrow - a richly deserved recall for the man who hasn't played for his country since suffering a blood clot returning from England's tour of Bangladesh in 2009.

Wantage Road of course was the venue for Hampshire's latest LV Division Two defeat as they were bowled out 117 runs short of their target by the Steelbacks. Loose bowling on day three and a lack of batting partnerships cost the Royals  and left them languishing in sixth place in the league. 

David Balcombe, in such fine form with the ball so far in 2012, spoke earlier this year about what he was doing differently to last season to make him such a prolific bowler this time out. "I'm just trying to be disciplined and try and do the right things. I haven't been thinking about taking wickets this year, I've just been trying to bowl dots and bowl maidens."

Hampshire's whole attack need to remember this going into the match with Derbyshire, undefeated this season and scoring lots of runs to boot.

It's a challenge, but no one ever expected it to be anything but, did they? 

Australian Batsman Glenn Maxwell Joins South Wilts

 
The ECB Southern Electric Premier League may sound like a far cry from the IPL and Australia's Big Bash T20 tournament. But, due to county cricket registration issues, Australian Glenn Maxwell will be plying his trade in the amateur cricket league this summer.
 
And Maxwell, 24, is a dab-hand with a bat to say the very least.
 
In 2011, whilst playing for Victoria Bushrangers in the Big Bash he hit 50 off just 19 balls, the quickest half-century on record in domestic Australian cricket. Bowlers from Havant CC, Totton & Eling CC and Hampshire Academy XI will be quaking in their boots as he takes guard against them this season.
 
Maxwell made two appearances for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL earlier this year before heading to England, hoping to line up for Hampshire this summer. “His plan was to come to the UK to have a look at Hampshire, but there were registration complications” South Wilts skipper James Hayward told me.
 
Hants loss is most certainly South Wilts gain and skipper Hayward realises his side's fortunate position. "It’s astounded the players to be honest. It’s lifted everyone around the club, on and off the pitch. People who used to play for the club and those involved off the pitch are saying they’re going to come out and support the club this season because of it, which is exactly what we need.”
 
Maxwell, who bowls decent off-spin as well as being an accomplished fielder, is due to make his debut for South Wilts on Saturday 5th May against Hampshire Academy XI at the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground and after an amazing sequence of events that led to his arrival, South Wilts will be hoping he can help them to their first ECB Southern Electric Premier League title since 2004.
 
Hampshire are keeping their eyes on the talented Australian batsman though, in fact he is their twelfth man for their LV Division Two game at Northants this week. Maxwell has a British passport as his father was born in the UK, but couldn’t play for Hants without scuppering a potential call-up to the Australian national side.
 
For now, “Maxi” is raring to go for South Wilts and his skipper for this summer can’t wait to see him in action. “He had a knock in the week and he has been training with the Hampshire lads too. They have told me he’s doing really well, although he hasn’t been able to net with us yet.”
 
South Wilts’ season starts Saturday 5th May at the Ageas Bowl against Hampshire’s Academy XI.

Hants Comment: Hampshire vs Leicestershire LVCC

When the rain hit the borough of Eastleigh last Friday it seemed as though it may never stop. It did of course, for a bit, but with only ten overs bowled on days three and four of Hampshire's match against Leicestershire at the Ageas Bowl, there was no chance of a result being reached in Hants 3rd game of the season.

Drawing against Leicester might  have been considered a decent result before a ball was bowled last week but, having restricted the visitors to just 234 in their first innings having been 148/3 earlier in proceedings, as well as reaching a promising 217/4 themselves with the bat, the Royals will wonder what could have been from the match.

Liam Dawson, once known around these parts predominantly as a spin bowler, returned career best bowling figures of 5 wickets for 29 Leicestershire runs in the first and only completed innings of the match, proving the exclusion of Danny Briggs from the side was an astute one.

Whether Briggs' exclusion was a sign of things to come this season, in first class cricket at least, we're currently unsure, but with Hants team manager Giles White looking for green, pacey wickets at the Ageas Bowl this season, Briggs may struggle to make an impact. 

It's tough on Briggs, such a prospect after two successful seasons with Hants and a first full England cap received in a one day international against Pakistan  earlier this year. Perhaps later in the season when wickets and conditions are offering spinners more assistance Briggs will begin to thrive but for now, with Dawson providing good support with the ball, Briggs will have to bide his time.

Hants seamers, in-form so far this season, toiled with little reward this time out. David Griffiths replaced Briggs and took 2/56, whilst in-form David Balcombe managed only 1 wicket. Indeed it was only when Dawson came onto bowl that Hants really began to test the Leicestershire batsmen.

Young batsman Sean Terry made his debut at the top of the order replacing skipper Jimmy Adams who was missing because of personal reasons. It was a debut to forget for the son of former Hants skipper Paul as he was out for a forth ball duck, but he will get an opportunity to improve on that on Wednesday as Hants travel to Northants with Adams again missing from action.

And there was good news for Michael Carberry on Thursday as first he was included in the England Lions squad to face West Indies in a tour match starting at Northants on 10th May, before going on to score 84 not out, before the rain arrived. Valuable time in the middle then for Carbs, and signs that Hants impressive looking batting lineup is starting to find its feet with Sean Ervine, fresh from his match-winning 75 against Glamorgan last week also finishing unbeaten on 41.

The rain didn't relent all day on Sunday and the game was officially abandoned around lunchtime. So ultimately the weather won, but in Dawson's bowling and Carberry's batting there were some reasons to be cheerful.

In other news,  Hampshire announced on Tuesday that the stands at the ground will be renamed the Shane Warne Stand and the Colin-Ingleby-Mackenzie Stand after 2 of their finest former captains. Nice touch.