HAVE BADGE WILL TRAVEL - A DYING BREED
By Terry Crump
My sixth match in this series of ‘Have Badge will Travel” is from June 2015.
Sussex v Hampshire
Sunday 7th June - Tuesday 9th June 2015
The season had opened with a loss at home; Sussex outplaying Hampshire, having made a first innings score of 444 and then dominating Hampshire with the ball. I love our games against Sussex and I love recalling this game in the glorious sunshine of June 2015, because so much sticks in my mind.
By the time we went to Hove in June, we hadn’t had any success, and our return to the top table wasn’t going at all well. Hampshire were bottom of Division One and finding life a lot more difficult than they had in Division Two. Nevertheless, entering the ground at Hove on the 7th June, I, like all Hampshire supporters, was excited about the prospect of revenge over our nearest rivals. The Hove track had twice been criticised by recent opponents and had seen a couple of nasty blows being received by batters.
Before meeting the home hosts, I stood in the bright sunshine looking at the ground while leaning on the banister rail of the steps leading to the Sussex Committee Room. I knew our luck was in when a local seagull dropped a welcome message onto the shoulder of my Navy Blazer. When I finally arrived for coffee with a vast number of my friends on the Sussex Committee, I had spent a very long time trying to wash the remnants of the aerial bombardment from my clothing.
Apart from my brush with the local birdlife, discussion has focussed on our chances as visitors, and of course, the Sussex contingent were more than confident! Talk revolved around the pitch and the Hampshire team’s decision to leave out Tomlinson, Wheal, and Dawson in favour of new overseas signing Jackson Bird, Danny Briggs, and young Sean Terry. Everybody in the room was also wondering how speedy Fidel Edwards’ performance would be.
Sussex batted first, and boy-oh-boy did they get out of the traps flying. Bird was being punished while Edwards, quick as he was, made no early impression as the home side quickly went to 47-0 with opener Wells hooking like it was going out of fashion and Yardy so dismissive of Bird’s early bowling.
I was very glad when Gareth Berg came on to bowl and he soon had the wicket he wanted, as Well’s nicked off to Vince in the slips. Bird and Berg were more threatening in tandem and had hit the pads several times. However, the Umpires didn’t seem to have any inclination to raise the finger.
Then Hampshire had a quarter of an hour to be joyous about, as Sussex went from 88-2 to 88-4. Bergy was bowling as well as I’d seen him bowl, enticing Yardy, who was swinging hard, to clobber one straight to ‘Smudger Smith’ at gully and then finding the edge of the bat as Joyce tried to pulverise the ball, only to have James Vince ‘pouch the pill’ with a magnificent diving catch that brought the house down.
At Lunch on that bright summer day, Sussex had reached 125-4 thanks to Nash and Wright.
Lunch in the Committee Room was a happy place, the weather was fabulous, the cricket was exhilarating and both hosts and guests were enjoying the spectacle of County Cricket along with a bumper crowd.
After lunch the Hampshire bowling lacked consistency and Bird bowled far too short far too often, paying the price as Nash and Wright put on 50 in no time at all. And then, after a delightfully extravagant partnership of 115, the unusual happened.
Hampshire’s bowling was not troubling the Sussex pairing and Bison decided to give Vince the cherry. His first over was a maiden. In his second over he was hit for a massive six by Wright then on the last ball of his short spell, he served up a long hop which Nash couldn’t resist trying to loft for a maximum only to carelessly find the capable hands of young Terry. So Nash gone for 48 and the partnership was broken. Briggs was at the other end to continue his spell and the very next ball, following the demise of Nash, Danny somehow managed to get one to rise sharply onto the glove of Wright (59) and into ‘Slugs’ grasp at first slip. Oh my, what a commotion….
Sussex now 202-6. What had looked so promising for the boys from ‘Sussex-by-the-Sea’ was now looking less threatening. It transpired that the rest of the Sussex batters succumbed rather easily with Robinson (6), Brown (now Hampshire’s Championship Skipper) going for seven, the wonderfully named Flynn Hudson-Prentice (15) and Magoffin (11) leaving Hobson not out with a zero. At tea, Sussex had left the field with a first innings total of 251. Berg had a 4fer, Bird took three, Briggs and Edwards one each, leaving the part-timer Vince with an unexpected one for seven.
I love the evening session on a warm summer evening and as I supped by cheery cup I was looking forward to a Hampshire innings to remember. I got one! Jimmy Adams and Sean Terry took their places on the Sussex stage and it all went well for a while, batting didn’t seem too hard, on a less than advantageous track for the home bowlers, and progress to a total of twenty-eight was uneventful.
Skipper Jimmy Adams never normally counted himself unlucky but today of all days saw him the unluckiest ever. Steve Magoffin bowled a loose one to Sean Terry who met the ball with the middle of his bat and sent it bullet-like back the way it had come. Somehow, Magoffin got his hand to it, deflected it onto two stumps, which flew skyward, leaving poor Bison stranded as he backed up. As ‘Jimbo’ made for the hutch he was crestfallen and Hampshire were one down for thirty-one. Sean Terry was dropped on twenty but was next wicket down when he had managed 30 and Hampshire had reached 44. I, like so many, was a fan of Michael Carberry and as he walked to the middle I was expectant. It wasn’t to be Carb’s day and although he hit one into a balcony for a maximum, his innings was short lived when he was caught behind by Ben Brown off a nicely angled rising ball, which Carbs was forced to fend off.
Despite the beauty of James Vince’s batting, others were finding things a bit more difficult and Will Smith (7) only lasted in the middle for eight overs before Robinson trapped him LBW with one that straightened. As the day ended James Vince was batting beautifully and had made his first half-century of the season with Danny Briggs holding up the other end as Nightwatchman with 116-4 showing on the scoreboard as the Hampshire batters walked off.
As I reflected on the days play, while enjoying a cold libation in the Hove Members’ Bar, I was a truly happy man. Both Hampshire and Sussex were showing they were unafraid to commit to their shots and had moved the scores along at an enjoyable four an over. I thought it to be finely balanced, ‘Even-Stevens’ so far and at that point, one of my favourite day’s play.
I was bathed in morning sunshine as I sipped coffee on the balcony before play on Monday. My hosts, as usual, were friendly, welcoming and like me, ready for a day of good competitive red-ball cricket with its twists and turns. Hampshire were 135 behind Sussex as Vince and Briggs, yet to score, took up the fight. Briggs, continued to play his part as he had in the role of Nightwatchman, knocking a few runs off until he was caught by Brown, trying a shot more suited to T20, to a ball by Robinson.
Vince continued to look good and had been joined by Wheater, who had taken the bull by the horns and was scoring fluently. Then for Vince it was all over as he put bat on ball in an undistinguished flap at a delivery from Hobden and edged perfectly to a grateful Ed Joyce at first slip.
Vince had looked set for a ton but had to make do with 76. Sean Ervine joined Wheater and between them took our score to 197. Then Ervine tried to steer Hobden’s straight ball away, misjudging it and going LBW on 15, despite looking aggrieved when, after what seemed ages, the finger went up .
Out came ‘Batman’ to join ‘Wheats’ and by Lunch the pair had steered Hampshire to 264-7 with some aggressive shots and despite Hobden rattling Berg’s head with a blow on the helmet. I spent Lunch discussing the track (which seemed to have settled into a mostly benign state) and watching crowds wandering inside the boundary, with the beautiful sight of youngsters copying their heroes in mock games around the ground.
The Sussex bowlers were struggling and Wheater and Berg brought up their 100 partnership (97 balls). Wheater only took 82 balls to reach his Century, with Bergy starting to cut loose as Hampshire hit 334-7. Wheater, on a ‘Nelson’, was caught Joyce bowled Wells and Edwards only lasted 12 balls for a miserly 2 runs.
Bird made 6 before Matt Hobden got his own back, fielding as Berg attempted a second run; even with his bat stretching to cut the crease he was short when Hobden scored a direct hit. Berg was distraught and back in the Pavilion on 99 after such a spirited innings. Hampshire had amassed a very worthwhile 392, dominating proceedings for much of the day.
An early tea was called but I preferred a quick cold lager before Sussex took the field in a rather precarious situation, with a long session to play and a determination not to give the match away. Fidel was steaming in from the Cromwell Road end, with his slingshot deliveries challenging the batsmen, while Jackson Bird’s efforts, from the Sea end, had seen Yardy take consecutive boundaries.
Then Fidel bowled a corker which Wells (0) edged wide to third slip. Sussex were 14-1 and under immense pressure as Edwards was warming to his task. He was bowling with pace and on an excellent line, soon sending one stump cartwheeling as he beat Machan(1). Next he had Yardy(15) LBW and Sussex were rocking. Joyce and Nash started to steady the ship at 61-3 but Gareth Berg hit on the helmet in his innings did the same to Ed Joyce which unsettled him and a few balls later he nicked one off Berg to a grateful Vince.
Now it was Nash and Wright hoping to repeat their first innings determination and get their side out of the mire. Fidel Edwards was bowling lightning fast and at one point the Hampshire Skipper set up something I’d never seen in a First-class game, almost a long-stop rather than a slip. I later found out that Edwards had suggested it as a possible catching position for Wright in case his aggressive batting led to a top edge flying long.
I’ve never seen that field since!
Chris Nash(50) went LBW to a bullet ball from Edwards and Magoffin was called upon as a Nightwatchman and with Sussex on 142-5 the day ended.
On Tuesday morning (9th June) all the talk in the Committee Room over the morning coffee before play started was all about the pace of Fidel Edwards and whether Sussex could find an answer, through Wright, to put enough runs on the board to pressure Hampshire into a second innings panic. Fidel Edwards rested after last evening’s blistering session, ran in from the Cromwell Road end and picked up where he left off taking only four balls to remove Magoffin(0) caught Vince; a fine 5fer return for some outstanding bowling by Edwards.
Sussex responded well with Brown, next in, and Wright bravely taking on Bird, Edwards and Berg.
Fidel Edwards made Brown’s life miserable, hitting him three times and watching Danny Briggs put down a gold plated chance when Brown was on twenty.
It looked like Brown and Wright would make things very difficult for Hampshire, the bottom side, making a good fist of it and adding 120 runs. Briggs had tried unsuccessfully from the Sea end, to make use of the wear and tear caused by Edward’s follow through. Nothing seemed to be working for Hampshire. Bird was getting ‘tonked’ to all corners, as Sussex grew the lead to 79 by passing 220 for 6. Then almost on the stroke of Lunch, a break through. Brown had made his half-century and called for a quick single. However, an outstanding bit of field craft by Will Smith hastened the end of the Sussex fight back. ‘Smudger’ was quick off the mark from cover, deftly picking up the ball and with only one stump in view at the striker’s end, miraculously hit that stump to run-out Luke Wright(84).
Brown, like Wright, looked utterly distressed and it got worse. Jackson Bird had bowled even more erratically on changing to the Cromwell Road end but he ran in near the end of his fifth over of the spell and somehow found a part of the pitch that spat up the ball viciously and trying to protect himself Brown gloved it into the hands of Ervine in the slips. Lunch interrupted proceedings with Hampshire sensing a chance to make the next session a short one.
Sure enough the restart heralded the inevitable end of the Sussex innings with the last men going quickly to leave Hampshire needing 126 to complete their first win of the season.
Hampshire looked good when Adams and Terry began the chase. They scored freely to take Hampshire to 36 without offering up a chance. Jimmy Adams was finally out to a brilliant catch by Yardy off the bowling of Luke Wells with 65 still required for victory. For once, I didn’t feel twitchy; my confidence on a high, just waiting to drink in the heady feeling that a sound thrashing of Sussex on their home patch would bring; bearing in mind we’d lost the last nine times we had visited Hove.
Young Sean Terry (as brave as his father) was hit on the thumb by a nasty riser but continued and made a useful 62*; Hampshire making the required runs despite losing Carberry, Vince and Smith all going cheaply trying to blast their way to victory. It was a welcome win, lifting Hampshire up the table and restricting Sussex’s points haul. I can still feel the excitement as I thanked the Sussex Committee hosts for their excellent hospitality and congratulating them on their part in a memorable game. I remember this game as if it were yesterday and I’ve always paid my respects to the flying gulls on every visit to Hove since that early morning on 7th June 2015.
Hampshire’s first win of the season by 6 wickets was,
I think, our saviour that season and not the Hampshire win at Trent Bridge which I have written about as my all time favourite game (2015 - Nottinghamshire v Hampshire)
