Balcombe Brace Gets Hampshire Up and Running

David Balcombe finished the day with figures of 17-5-38-3

Match report from day one of Hampshire's LV= County Championship match against Gloucestershire at The Ageas Bowl

Hampshire v GLOUCESTERSHIRE
LV= County Championship
Day One: THURSday 12 ApRIL 2012
The AGEAS Bowl

Summary: Gloucestershire lead Hampshire by 195 runs
with six wickets remaining in the first innings
Gloucestershire: 195-4 (60 ovs)
Full Scorecard

Hampshire Team
Adams*, Dawson, Carberry, Katich, Vince, Ervine, Bates⁺, Riazuddin, Briggs, Wood, Balcombe

Gloucestershire Team
Dent, Coughtrie⁺, Housego, A Gidman, Marshall, Cockbain, W Gidman, Young, Fuller, Payne, Saxelby

An awesome spell of bowling from David Balcombe (3-38*) got Hampshire off to a flying start in their 2012 LV= County Championship campaign opener against Gloucestershire at The Ageas Bowl.

The pace bowler removed three top-order batsmen for the price of just 18 runs in his first eight overs, leaving the visitors 87-4 in the opening session.

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Click on the image above to see highlights of this day's play

However, on an overcast day in which some mostly light but persistent showers disrupted the action, battling displays from Chris Dent (59*) and Ian Cockbain (52*), who also put on an unbeaten partnership of 108, held Hampshire up.

By the time play was halted for the day, Gloucestershire had made 195-4 off 60 overs. Hampshire will be hoping for quick wickets in the morning to re-assert their dominance.

Words: Simon Vincent
Images: LMI Photography (top right) /
NJM Photographs (main news image)