2014 Hampshire Thread

[pompeymeowth]

This is total garbage. About to be thrashed by a team who has previously lost 9 out of 11 games. Awful performance, looks like we'll even struggle to make an away tie in the quarter finals.

Would that be against the North Div top teams? Lancs or Notts maybe.

Anyone watching Sky? Billy Beer is having a go again, for such a little guy he's pretty strong.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Didn't see this coming for Hants. Sussex are making their usual cock up against Kent, I don't know if that benefits you or not.

In light of recent performances it isn't a huge shock.

It's only T20, it goes wrong very quickly sometimes.

In all honesty, I want us to go out anyway, Finals day + QF is a distraction from our LVCC promotion push, I'd happily field the 2nd XI in the 50 overs stuff too.

You don't really, but like me, you aren't hugely bothered if we do.

[budgetmeansbudget]

This is total garbage. About to be thrashed by a team who has previously lost 9 out of 11 games. Awful performance, looks like we'll even struggle to make an away tie in the quarter finals.

Would that be against the North Div top teams? Lancs or Notts maybe.

Anyone watching Sky? Billy Beer is having a go again, for such a little guy he's pretty strong.

Probably Lancs if we scrape through.

[pompeymeowth]

Didn't see this coming for Hants. Sussex are making their usual cock up against Kent, I don't know if that benefits you or not.

In light of recent performances it isn't a huge shock.

It's only T20, it goes wrong very quickly sometimes.

In all honesty, I want us to go out anyway, Finals day + QF is a distraction from our LVCC promotion push, I'd happily field the 2nd XI in the 50 overs stuff too.

Well said that man, I think that is the proverbial nail, Hampshire have done so well in T20 lately it's time for promotion.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Promotion is the priority but I'm not convinced that going out of the T20 is necessarily going to help us achieve that aim.

[st_brendy]

Wow. Just wow. I have never, ever seen a boundary so small at the Rose Bowl before for a limited overs match. It was utterly impossible to score a two towards it (between the Shane Warne stand and the main scoreboard) - single or four. The wicket was so far over to that side.

No way on this earth should we have therefore failed to chase down 173. But Vince got caught going for a boundary. Then Carberry got caught going for a boundary. Then Adams got caught going for a boundary. And with no Shah, Dawson or Wheater, the game was up. Smith, Ervine and Maxwell weren't going to take us home from there, and they didn't.

[st_brendy]

That said, with Sussex and Gloucs both losing, we got away with it somewhat (had Glamorgan lost too, we'd have really gotten away with it).

I still think one win will be sufficient - theoretically we need to win both games to make it a mathematical certainty, not even a win and a no-result would do that - but unfortunately I said that two games ago, and we still haven't got it.

The middle order has been a concern all competition. Now the top order is too. Not a great combination. 130 will win you very few t20 games.

[SaintPowelly]

Rimmington is in the 4day squad, Maxwell ISN'T.

[pompeymeowth]

They've done that before St Brendy, it's ridiculous. I was at the bowl when Sussex played Hants a few years back and the boundary was so far in that Sussex had no choice but to drop Billy Beer, which I'm not saying was Hampshire's intention but, as they don't do it every game you have to wonder if they are looking at the opposition and making a decision based on that.

That day we got there quite early and honestly thought that some sort of junior exhibition match was going to be played beforehand and that they'd move the boundary back afterwards.

[Hampshire]

Last night it was more the wicket though, they were playing on a wicket miles over to one side of the ground and the boundary was already as far out as it could go on that side.

I presume Balcs being injured has kind of forced them to put in Rimmington over Maxwell perhaps?

[st_brendy]

Yes, a Hampshire says, it was the position of the wicket, not the actual boundary rope.

I'm assuming it's because they wanted to play well away from the test wicket (which was clearly being kept under cover). If that is the case, then expect the same short boundary next week too.

As for Rimmington over Maxwell, it doesn't surprise me at all. We will only get promoted by taking 20 wickets in two, three, four of the these final five games. But in my book, a seam attack of Tommo and two from Balcombe, Coles and Wood would struggle to do that. I mean they struggled to do that last season, but why would it be any different this season.

[budgetmeansbudget]

The headline suggested that Rimington was signed as T20 cover so didn't think he would be considered for CC. But it makes sense replacing like for like. Remains to be seen if he can fill Abbott's boots. Dawson in for Gatting will strengthen batting bowling and slip fielding.

[st_brendy]

The headline suggested that Rimington was signed as T20 cover so didn't think he would be considered for CC. But it makes sense replacing like for like. Remains to be seen if he can fill Abbott's boots. Dawson in for Gatting will strengthen batting bowling and slip fielding.

Ordinarily I'd be slightly cautious about someone's first four day game after a lengthily(ish) injury. But seeing as though it's only Gatting who is making way, there really isn't anything to be cautious about.

[st_brendy]

Kent have just been totally smashed by Essex - losing by 63 runs is as comprehensive as it gets really - and so cannot now catch us.

Somerset are the only side outside of the top four who can catch us on points (we're on 14, they could still get 17), although Sussex and/or Gloucs could yet catch us on NRR (both would need to win 3 out of 3 to equal our current 14).

On the basis that on our current form you simply can't see us winning 2 out of 2, we are going to require others to slip up (how have we got ourselves into this position?!). So the fixtures to look out for are:

Tues 15: Sussex vs Glamorgan (brilliant for us, they can't both win)
Weds 16: Surrey vs Somerset (again brilliant for us, they can't both win)
Fri 18: Gloucs vs Surrey (again, guess what, brilliant for us, they can't both win)
Fri 18: Glamorgan vs Essex (good for us for a different reason - Essex are simply on fire, so a tough fixture for Glamorgan)
Fri 18: Kent vs Somerset
Sun 20: Gloucs vs Essex (good luck to Gloucs having to beat Surrey and now Essex in the space of 24 hours)
Thurs 24: Middlesex vs Surrey
Fri 25: Gloucs vs Glamorgan (again brilliant for us, they can't both win - although by this point, Gloucs will probably be out of it)
Fri 25: Kent vs Surrey
Fri 25: Somerset vs Middlesex

So Surrey and Somerset both have two matches to come against Middlesex and Kent. So long they don't slip up, that would put them onto 16 and 15 respectively. One more win for us puts us onto 16 too. But then there is also that Surrey-Somerset match (not to mention Surrey's trip to Gloucs).

If Somerset were to therefore beat Surrey in that match, it would appear that we'd have to rely on Glamorgan losing to Essex and one other, if we don't win 2 out of 2. On the other hand, if Surrey beat Somerset, then one win does it for us. Potentially, a rained off no-result could do it for us, depending on NRR.

[Centuryclub]

Didn't see this coming for Hants. Sussex are making their usual cock up against Kent, I don't know if that benefits you or not.

I think all Hants followers did! Yet another wake-up call for a season that's going ****up! I began to get even more concerned after Benks' wildly optimistic comments that Hnats could have bowled Glos out for under 200 if Glos had batted - when the B'mth manager (either Machin or O'Driscoll or perhaps both !) began to make unrealistic comments (in this case it was about bad luck in away matches when everyone else could see they were in a really bad run) the writing was on the wall & there was a managerial change even though it was not a sacking.