Hants Attack Wrap Up Comprehensive Victory
Apr 27 2013
James Tomlinson removes Moeen Ali in Worcestershire's second innings
Hampshire v Worcestershire
LV= County Championship
Wed 24 – Sat 27 April 2013
The Ageas Bowl
A thoroughly professional all-round home bowling display saw Hampshire wrap up a comfortable win inside the first session of day four of this LV= County Championship match against Worcestershire at The Ageas Bowl.
Visiting skipper Daryl Mitchell (92) did his best to hold off the inevitable, seeing off the best part of 15 overs in the opening hour before falling just eight runs short of a century in his 100th First Class match.
But, once he was gone, lbw to a Chris Wood (2-56) delivery that spat off a length, there was something of a procession as his team were bowled out for 252 in their second digs, losing the match by an innings and 42 runs.
The result - along with a full compliment of bonus points - sees Hampshire claim the maximum 24 from the match and catapults them into second in Divsion Two with 35 in total; that's 20 points behind leaders Northamptonshire with a game in hand.
The team now move on to Chelmsford to take on strugglers Essex in the next round of LV=CC matches, starting on Monday.
Words: Simon Vincent
Images: NJM Photography
Day Three
Summary: Worcestershire trail Hampshire by 141 runs
with five wickets remaining in the second innings
Hampshire: 500-9d
Worcestershire: 206 & 153-5 (f/o)
Worcestershire began day three on 159-5 and they'll do pretty much exactly the same on day four - only, an innings further on - after another day under the pump in this LV= County Championship match against Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl.
They'll resume on 153-5 in their second innings, having followed on after making a paltry 206 in reply to their hosts' 500-9 declared.
It's the second time in the opening two games that Jimmy Adams' side have made their opposition immediately bat again, as it is the second time they've recorded maximum bonus points.... let's hope it's not the second time they're denied all 24 by the rain.
They started the day in exactly the right way, claiming their visitors' five remaining first innings wickets before the break for lunch. First, James Tomlinson's (3-52) left-arm swing saw one nip back in to the right handed, Neil Pinner (29) who was lbw.
Then Sean Ervine (2-20) obliterated Michael Johnson's (19) off stump and, as the new cherry approached, Danny Briggs' (2-13) first over back in the attack saw Gareth Andrew (5) rapped on the pads. The same two saw off the two tail-enders inside 80 overs and saved the Club the expense of cracking open two new balls in quick succession.
However, the hosts wouldn't find the next two sessions so easy. With their top order back at the crease, Worcestershire dug in and the going was slow. The two high-points of the afternoon session were a diving catch from Adam Wheater behind the stumps to remove Matt Pardoe (6) and the equally important lbw of first-innings half-centurion Moeen Ali (16).
By tea, Worcestershire were looking as comfortable as it is possible to be given their precarious position in the match. Thilan Samaraweera and captain Daryl Mitchell were at the crease - their team 80-2 - and establishing a partnership that would eventually run to 77.
As is often the case, of course, it would take something - or, rather, two things - a bit out of the ordinary to shake things up. First, Briggs (1-33 off 11) would remove Samaraweera (27) with the first ball after a drinks break, but it was the manner of the dismissal - bowled through the gate - that made one wonder what the Sri Lankan had had put in his water so lazy and haphazard was the shot he played.
Then, bowling to the new man, Alexei Kervezee (5), James Vince (1-16 off 8) picked up his first ever Championship wicket - unearthing the batsman's middle stump. The joke - that Vince is now an all-rounder following six match wickets against Loughborough University last week - is starting to be less funny, somehow.
Alas, Mitchell would stand steadfast until stumps and he will resume on 71* tomorrow morning. In that respect the situation his team find themselves in is subtly different to the one they had done after day two inasmuchas they have an experienced top-order batsman at the crease. However, he's going to need someone to stick with him - or the showers that are forecast to be worse than feared - for Worcestershire to deny Hampshire their first campaign win.
Entry for the final day will be at the reduced price of £10 for adults, Under 16s for free so come down and cheer the boys on to a first win of the season!
Words: Simon Vincent
Images: NJM Photography
Day Two
Summary: Worcestershire trailed Hampshire by 341 runs
with five wickets remaining in their first innings
Hampshire: 500-9d
Worcestershire: 159-5 (58 ovs)
Another dominant display by Hampshire with both bat and ball on day two saw them take a vice-like grip of this LV= County Championship match against Worcestershire at The Ageas Bowl.
Having started the day on 151*, skipper Jimmy Adams (219 not out) picked up the third First Class double century of his career - a knock that ranks as his second highest score ever and best for nearly seven years! Even more pleasingly, his team maintained their 100% record when it comes to gaining maximum batting bonus points this season.
But more was yet to come as, having declared on 500-9, the home attack rattled through half their opponent's batsmen by stumps, leaving Worcestershire on 159-5; still 341 short of Hampshire's first innings total and 191 short of avoiding the follow on.
On the hottest day of the year so far, the home fans were treated to the sight of their captain making hay (or, rather, runs) while the sun shone. Together with Chris Wood (41) he put on 96 for the seventh wicket, bringing up the team 400 (and final batting point) in the process and, by the time the young all-rounder was out, was just six away from 200.
But Adams knows the pain of finishing in the nervous 190s (is that even a term?) having done so twice in recent years and he wasn't about to let it happen again. Briefly, however, it looked like it might not be his choice! David Balcombe got a perfect yorker from Richard Jones (1-78) a mere over after Wood's departure and new man Danny Briggs faced 22 of the next 24 deliveries, scrambling twos during overs and singles at the end of them, much to the frustration of the crowd!
Ultimately, though, Briggs proved to be a worthy support to Adams, adding 25 "bonus" runs of his own, and that allowed the home skipper to see his team to the magic 500 mark before calling himself in and helping his average all at the same time!
Like Leicestershire before them, Worcestershire now had to fight off a fired up attack that had had a day and a half's rest and, though they didn't find the going as tough as their near neighbours had done, they still struggled against a ball that was swinging and seaming.
Balcombe (2-44 off 14*) - the division's most prodigious scalp claimer last year - was the first to strike, removing Daryl Mitchell (18) before tea, but it was Wood (1-56 off 17*) who claimed the all-important wicket of Thilan Samaraweera (right). The Sri Lankan International once struck an unbeaten 87 at The Ageas Bowl when playing in the ground’s inaugural Test match against England but he was found lacking here as he hung his bat out to dry, only to be gobbled up by Sean Ervine in the slips; Worcs 98-3.
That left a great deal of visiting hope on the shoulders of Moeen Ali - cousin of former Hampshire player Kabir. Having finished with 4-103 earlier in the day, the batsman looked like he'd been gaining "inside" information from Kabby on ground conditions as he pushed past 50 with a boundary in the 45th over of the reply.
Alas, James Tomlinson (2-35 off 15*) got one to rise on him and Ali became Liam Dawson's second catch of the day at second slip. Neil Pinner (17*) and Michael Johnson (9*) saw out the remaining overs but, with a pretty long tail to come, they'll have to do a great deal more than that on day three.
Words: Simon Vincent
Images: Peter Missen / ZeeImages (Adams / Briggs)
& NJM Photography (Wood)
Day One
Summary: Hampshire led Worcestershire by 367 runs
with four wickets remaining in their first innings
Hampshire: 367-6 (96 ovs)
An unbeaten daddy hundred from captain Jimmy Adams – his highest ever score at The Ageas Bowl - steered Hampshire into a commanding position on Day One of their LV= County Championship match against Worcestershire.
The opener reached 151 off 287 balls (19 fours) by the close of play to help his side register 367 for 6.
He was well supported by Michael Carberry (62) and James Vince (52) with Worcestershire spinner Moeen Ali (3-77) the only visiting bowler to make serious inroads into the Hampshire top order.
Another highlight was Sean Ervine (18) bringing up his 10,000th run for the Club in all competitions.
All in all it was a successful day for Hampshire who grabbed four batting bonus points with Worcestershire taking two for bowling.
Adams’ decision to bat first in overcast conditions looked to have been vindicated early on as he and Carberry got the hosts off to a good start. Carbs, who has an excellent record against Worcestershire, averaging more than 50 in six First-Class matches against the county, soon built up a head of steam, picking up his fifty in just 64 balls.
Perhaps a little frustrated at his bowlers’ lack of progress, visiting captain Daryl Mitchell resorted to bringing on part-time spinner Ali to make the breakthrough. And the 25-year old duly delivered in his first over, trapping Carberry lbw; Hampshire 127-1 at the end of the morning session.
And after Liam Dawson also went up the two sides’ return, Ali was at it again! Despite never having previously taken a wicket at The Ageas Bowl he was quickly turning into Worcestershire’s strike bowler as he dismissed George Bailey (11), caught at slip.
Adams, however, wasn’t fazed. Having brought up his fifty just before the end of the first session earlier in the day, he was making a habit of reaching milestones just before breaks as he recorded his 17th career century (12 fours) in the penultimate over before tea; his side 246-3.
Vince came back out firing and brought up his fifty in typically quick fashion. But the final session was more evenly balanced after his departure. Despite the midlands side doubling their wickets tally, Hampshire continued to pile on the runs with Adams once again bringing up his final landmark just before stumps.
Given the start they’ve had, the hosts will certainly be looking to record maximum batting bonus points on day two – repeating the feat they managed against Leicestershire in their opening match. If they can push on from there, they could take a vice-like grip on this fixture.
Words: Jamie Hopkins
Images: NJM Photography
Background
Hampshire went into the fixture in an optimistic mood, having dominated Leicestershire for three days only to be thwarted by the weather on day four and beaten Loughborough by a comfortable margin (even if they did leave it a little late in the day) last week.
Jimmy Adams’ side – who were top after the first round of matches on bonus points – went into the match in fifth with a game in hand on all those above them.
Worcestershire, however, endured a pretty miserable season in Division One last year, finishing bottom of the table with only a single win to their name – and that was over fellow relegation sufferers, Lancashire.
What’s more, their start to 2013 hasn’t gone much better having drawn with the Red Rose County and lost to 2012 strugglers, Glamorgan in the last two weeks – results that left them rooted to the bottom of Division Two.