50-Wicket Balcombe Helps Hants on Their Way

Report from day one of Hampshire's LV= County Championship match against Essex at The Ageas Bowl

Hampshire v Essex
LV= County Championship
Day One: Tuesday 4 September
The Ageas Bowl

Summary: Hampshire trail Essex by 15 runs
with six wickets remaining in the first innings
Essex: 180
Hampshire: 165-4 (43 ovs)
Scorecard

Hampshire Team
Adams*, Carberry, Shafayat, Katich, Dawson, Vince, Ervine, Bates+, Balcombe, Tomlinson, Griffiths
Essex Team
Westley, Mickleburgh, Shah, Pettini, ten Doeschate, Foster, Wheater, Napier, Topley, Chmabers, Craddock

David Balcombe (4-57) claimed his 50th First Class wicket of the season and spear-headed a terrific bowling display by Hampshire to give his side the early advantage in this LV= County Championship match against Essex.

The tall pace-bowler took advantage of a typically green 2012 Ageas Bowl pitch to take four wickets including both opposition openers, former England man James Foster (10) and the visitors’ near-hero of the reverse fixture, Adam Wheater (19) as Essex were bowled out for just 180 in their first innings.

Including wickets for Kent, Balcombe now has an incredible 85 wickets from just 20 Championship games (90 in all First Class cricket).

Using a four-man attack for only the first time this season, the remaining scalps were shared between David Griffiths (3-40), Sean Ervine (2-19) and James Tomlinson (1-46) as Hampshire’s desire to keep up their assault on the promotion places ensured that they refused to take their foot off their opponents’ throats after making early in-roads.

In the final session of the day, knocks of 42 from CB40 Semi-Final hero Michael Carberry and 42 not out from Bilal Shafayat (returning in place of the departed Neil McKenzie) ensured Hampshire reached 165-4. The hosts, therefore, go into day two just 15 runs behind their mid-table opponents with six wickets still in-hand.

 

It was near inevitable that whoever won the toss would elect to bowl, such were the seam-friendly conditions and, when visiting skipper Foster called heads and it came down a tails, Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams had no hesitation in setting a fired-up attack on Tom Westley (4) and Jaik Mickleburgh (7).

Needless to say, they were powerless to resist the early onslaught and within ten overs both would be back in the hutch thanks to Balcombe, edging to first and second slip respectively – the latter being that all-important “number 50” for Hampshire’s - and Division Two’s - leading wicket-taker. When Owais Shah (9) then edged Tomlinson (who, himself, is in the Division’s top 10 bowlers with 39 scalps to his name) to third slip [pictured below] one might have been tempted to just keep adding slips as the edges kept getting thicker!

Instead, the hosts kept things fresh by bringing Griffiths – playing his first LV= CC match since early May – into the attack. And he struck in his first over to see off Ryan ten Doeschate (9), Essex 47-4. But those who have watched a lot of Hampshire this season will know that one of their team’s main frustrations in four-day cricket has been that they, by their own admission, have let a few sides off the hook having had them in similar situations.

There was none of that here. Balcombe’s third dismissal also brought about the lunch break, while his fourth kept up the intensity immediately afterwards, coming in only his second over since the re-start. At this point, Essex were only just through the 100 mark and in desperate need of a partnership to get themselves settled again. This they got as Mark Pettini (58) and Graham Napier (20) put on 54 for the seventh wicket but, once they were gone, there was very little resistance with two wickets falling on 166 and a further two on 180.

Nine out of the ten Hampshire wickets had come from being caught either by the wicket keeper or slips and from the start of the reply, Essex, not unreasonably, decided they would attempt to do the same, setting an attacking field which included at least four slips at all times. However, opening bowlers, Maurice Chambers and Reece Topley appeared to have not read the script and bowled short much to the confusion of many onlookers.

It was a tactic that brought some rewards – Adams (8) top-edged a mis-timed pull to short square leg for his dismissal – but also some retribution as his replacement, Shafayat, whacked the first six of the match over the slips off a bouncer shortly after.

At this stage Hampshire were 61-2 and still very much in control. And, together with Simon Katich, Shafayat went after a visiting seam collective clearly missing the power of the injured David Masters, both men sending their assailants to the ropes in each of the next four overs to take their team to the cusp of 100.

Though Katich (20) and his replacement, Liam Dawson (17) would both go before the close, Shafayat and James Vince (22*) would see their side through to close with little else to worry the hosts. A serious batting performance on day two could potentially ensure some important additional bonus points to add to the three they got for bowling and even, perhaps, take the game away from the team from Chelmsford.
  

Catch Up:

Preview:	Adams Wants Good Start in Final Home Championship Fixture

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 Words: Simon Vincent
Images: NJM Photography

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