25 Years Ago

The Rose Bowl’s first ever Hampshire game was the Benson & Hedges South Group match against Surrey - which the home side lost by 23 runs on May 4th 2001. Dimitri Mascarenhas bowled the first ball to Mark Butcher, two days after the first scheduled game against Essex was lost to the weather without a ball being bowled.

25 years ago on May 9th 2001, Hampshire played their first ever first-class game against Sussex in a Division Two game at the Rose Bowl. At the time it was the 12th ground used by the club to stage first-class cricket and the first new one for 45 years since Cowes in 1956.

Hampshire’s first ever home game under floodlights saw a 79 run win over the Sussex Sharks in the Second Division of the Norwich Union 45 Over League on Wednesday 4th July 2001.

When Hampshire defeated Nottinghamshire by 338 runs on July 21st 2001, in the first season at the Rose Bowl, it was the largest margin of victory by runs at home in the Championship in the club’s 137-year history at the time. That record has since been broken in June 2014, with that amazing 470 run home win against Essex.

Monday 30th July 2001 was the day Hampshire completed a famous second-ever win against Australia. Routed by Alan Mullally (5 for 18) for just 97 in just one session on the Saturday, Robin Smith then made a brilliant 113 against Warne and company in Hampshire’s reply. Needing to score 133 in 36 overs after Steve Waugh declared Australia's 2nd innings on 389-9, Hampshire won by two wickets with nine balls to spare.