Winter Watch: Afridi, Briggs and Dawson in the Wickets

Royals' spinners all impress abroad

It was another good weekend for Hampshire’s spinners as Danny Briggs (2-45), Shahid Afridi (2-20) and Liam Dawson (3-42) all picked up wickets in their various overseas endeavours.

And there was also a landmark for Royals batsman, James Vince.

Briggs, playing for the England Lions in the first 50-over game of a five-match Series, continued the good form he showed on Friday by picking up a further two wickets on Sunday morning.

He claimed the first scalps of Bangladesh’s innings – both clean bowled – and, as the only English bowler to see out his allocation of overs, ended with figures of 10-0-45-2.

Earlier, his Hampshire team-mate, Vince passed 1,000 runs in List A cricket on his way to making 14 before being trapped lbw.

Unfortunately, both players’ efforts were in vain as the hosts chased down a target of 139 in 33 overs to claim a six-wicket win.

In Australia’s Big Bash battle of the Melbourne teams, former Hampshire captain Shane Warne’s Stars came out on top against current Royal Shahid Afridi’s Renegades.

They won by 11 runs on the Duckworth Lewis method with Warne taking one wicket at the cost of just four runs from his only allotted over.

Afridi, however, also bowled well, removing David Hussey and trapping former Scottish Saltires opener, George Bailey lbw having already caught Sussex and England player, Luke Wright off the bowling of Shane Harwood.

Playing his first club cricket match for Dandenong in Australia, Liam Dawson also enjoyed success, ending with 3-42 from 9.2 overs to see his side to a 40-run win in a 50-over Victorian Premier League match. He also scored 7 with the bat.

And finally, down under, Hampshire 2012 overseas player, Simon Katich was just getting into his stride, accelerating to 15 not out by the time his Perth Scorchers side’s 20 overs were up against the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash.

However, it was a valuable contribution as his side ultimately won by 42 runs.

Sadly, Dimitri Mascarenhas didn’t get to see any action as the Otago Volts’ match against Wellington was rained off without a ball being bowled in New Zealand.

This week, Neil McKenzie’s Highveld Lions side are back in action in the Supersport (First Class) Series in South Africa after a long Christmas break. They play the Warriors at Port Elizabeth starting on Thursday.

Sean Ervine, however, can still enjoy a few more weeks to get over his festive exertions as his Matabeleland Tuskers side aren’t back in action until the 30th January.

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Words: Simon Vincent
Images: LMI Photography

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