Dawson Leads Late Rally As Hants Take Control

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

Hampshire v Leicestershire
LV= County Championship
Day One: Thursday 26 April 2012
The Ageas Bowl

Summary: Leicestershire lead Hampshire by 159 runs
with four wickets in hand in the first innings
Leicestershire: 159-6 (62.2 ovs)
Full Scorecard

Hampshire Team
Carberry, Dawson, Katich*, Vince, Ervine, Terry, Bates⁺, Wood, Riazuddin, Balcombe, Griffiths

Leicestershire Team
Boyce, Smith, Ali, Sarwan*, Cobb, Du Toit, Eckersley⁺, White, Joseph, Malik, Wyatt

A late rally from Hampshire’s attack changed the complexion of this match as four Leicestershire wickets fell for just 13 runs in the last seven overs of day one of this LV= County Championship match at The Ageas Bowl.

After a partnership of 81 between Ramnaresh Sarwan (46) and Greg Smith (68) looked to have put the visitors in the driving seat the introduction of spinner Liam Dawson (3-13*) to the attack swung the game back towards Hampshire’s favour.

His career-best Championship return capped a day of milestones in the Hampshire team as Chris Wood also claimed his 50th First Class wicket and youngster Sean Terry made his Championship debut for the side his father played for and coached.

Hampshire finish the day with two bowling bonus points and the confidence that they can pick up the final one on day two having played just 62 rain-affected overs so far.

After the weather kept the action on hold until 2pm, the two teams’ overseas players, Sarwan and Simon Katich came out for the toss. Sarwan is deputising for Leicestershire stalwart Matthew Hoggard, who is out of the early part of the season having had an operation on his hand. Meanwhile, Katich stepped in for Jimmy Adams, who withdrew from the Hampshire squad for personal reasons.

Katich won the toss and, as has been the general consensus so far this season, elected to bowl first due to cloudy and wet conditions seemingly suited to the seam. Hampshire’s attack was all set up for it, having subbed in the pace of David Griffiths for the spin of Danny Briggs.

But the hosts didn’t have a great deal of luck early on; coming closest to a wicket when Wood (who bowled with all the ferocity of a man who knew he was on 49 First Class wickets) appeared to hit Matthew Boyce fully on the foot. A lengthy appeal followed but there was no sympathy from umpire Jeff Evans.

Nevertheless, both batsmen, though running well between the wickets, were struggling to score serious runs, with only four boundaries having come by the time Boyce (10) fished at a wider delivery from Griffiths and was caught behind by Michael Bates; Leicestershire 34-1 in the 18th over.

Jacques du Toit (8) joined Smith at the crease and saw his side into the tea break but that would be about all from him as Hamza Riazuddin continued his good run of form to strike first ball after the return and see him off lbw.

Smith, however, was proving harder to dislodge, giving very little in the way of encouragement to the bowlers before cutting a single off David Balcombe to bring up his 50 (123 balls, four 4s). And, ably supported by the in-form Sarwan the pair found some joy through that off side, the West Indian carving another double through gully to register a 50 partnership off 20 overs.

Hampshire felt the need to mix things up and brought Dawson into the attack, juxtaposing his spin with the quickest of their quicks, Griffiths at the other end. The ploy worked as first Smith (68) was bowled playing down the wrong line, then Sarwan (46) top-edged a cut to Sean Ervine in the slips who palmed it up, then collected second time around; Dawson with both scalps.

Interestingly, his last championship wicket before today was that of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (playing for Warwickshire at this ground last season). The beginnings of a West Indian jinx may be slowly forming!

And, indeed, another intriguing pattern was forming as three of the four wickets to have fallen up until this point had come off the first ball of an over. Sure enough, Wood stayed true to form to clip Hampshire seamer Kabir Ali’s cousin, Kadeer’s off-stump with his first ball back in the attack; landmark achieved.

In the final over Dawson also trapped Nadeem Malik lbw to see Leicester come off on 159-6. Play resumes in the morning at 11am.

Catch Up:

Preview:

Tomlinson Joins Squad to Face Leicestershire

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Words: Simon Vincent
Images: LMI Photography (Terry)
/ Getty Images (Dawson)

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