Lower Order Resistance Frustrates Hosts

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

Hampshire v Northamptonshire
LV= County Championship
Day Two: Thursday 16 August 2012
The Ageas Bowl

Summary: Hampshire trail Northamptonshire by 231 runs
with eight wickets remaining in their first innings
Northamptonshire: 356
Hampshire: 125-2
Scorecard

Hampshire Team
Adams*, McKenzie, Katich, Dawson, Vince, Ervine, Bates†, Wood, Balcombe, Ali, Tomlinson
Northamptonshire Team
Peters, O'Brien, Sales, Wakely, Newton, Hall*, Middlebrook, Murphy†, Willey, Daggett, Evans

A stoic lower-order batting performance that added nearly 100 runs for the last three wickets left Hampshire feeling the less pleased with their performance on day two of this still very evenly-balanced LV= County Championship match against Northamptonshire at The Ageas Bowl.

Left-arm paceman David Willey became only the second batsman to reach 50 batting at nine, but joined three others who nearly made the mark as the visitors finished on a respectable 356 all out.

To their credit, Hampshire quicks James Tomlinson and David Balcombe persisted most of the day, both finishing with three wickets to their name; spinner, Liam Dawson taking two.

Hampshire resume on day three on 125-2, 231 runs behind on the first innings.

 

With Northamptonshire starting the day on 170-5, James Middlebrook and Rob Newton were looking to continue the 72-run fightback they had started on day one, after their side had been 98-5. So it was to Hampshire’s great relief that, three overs in, they got the break-through they wanted. Newton (48) succumbed to the same fate as his higher-order team-mate Stephen Peters (47) by getting dismissed just before his half century; a great away-swinger by Balcombe (3-58) making him edge behind.

But the hosts couldn’t gain any momentum as new batsman, David Murphy combined with Middlebrook to put on another 50 partnership. In fact, it took a peach of a ball from Dawson (2-23) to see the latter off, catching the 35-year-old unawares to take his off stump as he stepped across the line. But Northants dug in, putting on yet another 48-run partnership before Tomlinson (3-66) took Murphy’s (43) off stump.

Sensing the end could be nigh, Willey started to swing the bat, hitting a four and a six off Balcombe in successive balls and scoring runs at a much faster rate than his companions to bring up his 54 (off 60 balls), a 50 partnership with Lee Daggett (26*) and the team’s 350 to move his side forward 99 runs from 257-7 to 356-9.

At least the last two wickets went in successive overs but that would have been little consolation for a Hampshire side who knew they had let their opposition off the hook.

That indiscretion would have been so much harder to take had they, themselves, not batted well. Fortunately, that was not the case, Jimmy Adams and Neil McKenzie replying with a relatively spritely first 50 (off 77 balls) before the South African edged behind for 31.

And, despite the additional loss of Simon Katich (7), the captain and his former opening partner, Dawson batted well, the latter pulling Willey for six in the fading light to take their side to stumps on 125-2. He’ll resume on day three on 19*, Adams 48*.

Catch Up:

Preview:	Hampshire Seek Revenge Against Northants
Day One:	Early Wickets Hand Hants the Initiative

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Words: Will Rimell
Images: NJM Photography

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