Starting in Jan 2026 anniversaries will be listed here about events half a century ago
50 years ago on 24th April 1976, Barry Richards received the ‘Gold Award’ for his 80, made out of a total of 186-7 in a three-wicket win over Lancashire at Old Trafford, in the first Benson and Hedges group game of the season. In doing so, he became the first Hampshire player to reach 5,000 runs in List A cricket for the club.
In front of a packed crowd (and his parents), Barry Richards made 159 against Kent on Saturday 29th May 1976. He was 99 not out at lunch. Two days later, he completed his second hundred in the game (108) in the post tea session in just 83 minutes.
At the age of 42, Peter Sainsbury took his final five wicket haul in his penultimate game for the club against Surrey at the Oval, starting on Saturday 31st July 1976. On a day when Robin Jackman had taken 8-78 and Barry Richards had made 120 in Hampshire’s 248, Sainsbury then began his 26 over spell which ended with figures of 5-40 two days later. Overall, he finished 5th in Hampshire’s list of all-time leading first-class wicket takers - behind Shackleton, Kennedy, Newman and Boyes - with 1,245 wickets.