2000's

2001

Quiz Question:  Neil Johnson became the seventh Hampshire player to score 1,000 first-class runs in their first season for Hampshire. Who was the last player to do that before Neil?  See the bottom of the article for the answer

The 2001 season marked, without doubt, a truly landmark year for Hampshire County Cricket Club and its new home ground at The Rose Bowl in West End, near Southampton. It was the 12th ground used by Hampshire to stage first-class cricket in its 137-year history, and the first new one for 45 years. The last one was Cowes on the Isle of Wight in 1956. Constructed as a purpose-built venue to replace the historic County Ground and attract higher-profile cricket, the stadium hosted its first official season of fixtures in the Benson & Hedges Cup. In the very first game against Surrey, Hampshire were defeated. Soon after, Hampshire played their first first-class match at the ground against Worcestershire from 9–11 May, winning by 124 runs in a very dominant display. Dimitri Mascarenhas scored the first century at the venue, making 104 batting at number 8; Alex Morris had significant match figures of 4-39 and 4-27, establishing early bowling records for the ground. Across the season, Hampshire competed in the Second Division of the County Championship, the National League (one-day competition), and the Benson & Hedges Cup, all the time adjusting to the new pitch conditions and fantastic new facilities. 

The inaugural summer at The Rose Bowl also saw individual playing milestones: Alan Mullally claimed the first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket at the ground, while Hampshire recorded their largest victory margin - in terms of runs - by beating Nottinghamshire by 338 runs later in the campaign. Five different Hampshire batsmen made first-class hundreds at the new ground: Robin Smith, Neil Johnson, Derek Kenway, Giles White, Adi Aymes and Dimi Mascarenhas. Derek’s 166 against Notts was the highest score, while Murray Goodwin made 195 for Sussex. Only two bowlers took 5 wickets in an innings in a first-class for Hampshire on the ground. Alan Mullaly did it three times, including 8-90 against Warwickshire, while Dimi did it twice. With 192 points, Hampshire finished second - behind Second Division Champions Sussex (208 points) - and were duly promoted back to the top division at the first time of asking. The highest partnership for Hampshire on the new ground was a very significant one: 182 for the fourth wicket between Robin Smith and Neil Johnson against Australia. 

In the Benson and Hedges South Group table, Hampshire finished sixth and winless. The first ever win in a List A game at the new ground also came against the Worcestershire Royals, when the Hawks chased down 183 with two balls to spare, to ensure victory by 3 wickets. Hampshire finished 4th in Division 2 of the Norwich Union National Cricket League in 2001 with 9 wins in 16 games. In the first-ever floodlit game, Derek Kenway’s 76 won him the Man of the Match Award for the Hawks against the Sussex Sharks. No Hampshire player scored a one-day century at home in 2001. Bas Zuiderent made a name for himself when he made the first ever hundred on the ground for Sussex on May 7th in the third scheduled home Benson and Hedges Group game. No Hampshire bowler took 5 wickets in a one-day game either home or away, and there were no century partnerships for any Hampshire wicket at the Rose Bowl either in one-day cricket. 

6000 seats were available at the new ground. The Atrium Bar was opened, but not the pavilion, while changing facilities, committee room  and hospitality were accommodated in rows of marquees adjacent to the boarded-up pavilion. Hampshire beat the Australians for only the second time - the other was in 1912 - when the tourists were dismissed for just 97 on the first day. Alan Mullally took 5-17, while captain Robin Smith made a brilliant 113 in Hampshire’s reply. The dramatic victory came just before the close on the last day with Hampshire famously winning by two wickets. Although there were no men’s international or high-profile women’s fixtures at the ground in 2001, the successful staging of first-class and List A matches definitely established the venue as a credible home for Hampshire cricket and set the foundation for future international allocations. The season elevated the club’s profile and showcased the potential of The Rose Bowl to host larger events in years to come. 

On 1st November, the new Board of Directors took control of the business: Chairman Rod Bransgrove; CEO Graham Walker; Director of Cricket Tim Tremlett; Non-exec Directors Nick Pike & Mark Nicholas. (December) Newly reconstituted Members Committee begins with two appointees David Robinson & Roger Treherne entitled to attend Board Meetings. The ECB announced that the Rose Bowl would have ODI status from 2004 (eventually 2003).

Quiz Answer:  Matthew Hayden in 1997. Matthew also scored 142 against Hampshire in 2001 for Australia.

2002

Quiz Question:  Robin Smith needed 5 more runs at the end of the 2002 season to enter the top ten all-time Hampshire first-class run scorers. Who were the ten batsmen ahead of him in that list at the time?  See the bottom of the article for the answer

In February 2002, Eastleigh Borough Council’s planning committee granted planning permission for a £3m 20-acre golf-driving range and club house. In March, five million shares went on offer at £1 each with a minimum of £250 to each member and £2,000 to the public. There were then 4,839 members with the hope to raise £5m but the figure was £2.65m. The pavilion was now ready for the new season and Sport England awarded £150,000 for safety work on the ground. Plans were prepared for planning approval to construct two new stands with hospitality boxes.

The 2002 season was the first full year in which Hampshire County Cricket Club operated entirely from the Rose Bowl, marking the true beginning of a new era after the departure from Northlands Road in 2001. As such, the dominant theme of the season was adjustment—both to unfamiliar playing conditions and to the demands of a large, modern venue. In the First Division of the County Championship, Hampshire struggled to establish consistency, but there were some real highlights from individual players. John Crawley rewrote the record books on debut at Canterbury. His 272 included 36 boundaries; it was the fourth highest individual score in the club’s history at the time. When Hampshire declared on 671 for 8, it was a total just one short of the club’s highest ever team score in 1899 at Taunton. Nic Pothas, also on debut, made 48.

The match against Surrey at the Rose Bowl was a truly remarkable one for runs scored. Hampshire's second innings of score of 390 was their second highest-ever losing score in a match which saw 1577 runs. This figure was the second highest aggregate after Matthew Hayden’s Warwickshire game (235* & 119) in 1997 when 1,706 runs were scored at Northlands Road. Meanwhile Jimmy Adams and James Tomlinson also made their Championship debuts in 2002.

During the season, Robin Smith passed 25,000 first-class career runs. He was the only batsmen to make two Championship centuries. Robin finished the summer just 5 runs short of reaching the Hampshire top ten run scorers of all time. Will Kendall who wrote a really informative and entertaining diary of the 2002 season in the 2003 Hampshire Handbook carried his bat against Leicestershire at the Rose Bowl. It was the 26th occasion a Hampshire batman had carried his bat in a Championship game for the club.

For the bowlers, Chris Tremlett took his first five-wicket haul with 5-57 at Old Trafford against Lancashire. Alan Mullally returned the season’s best figures with 6-56 against Warwickshire at the Rose Bowl. In his Benefit Year, Shaun Udal again took more than 50 wickets. Overall, Hampshire finished 7th in the table and were relegated along with Somerset and Yorkshire. A significant number of matches ended in draws, reflecting both the character of the Rose Bowl pitches and a side still searching for balance. The surfaces in these early seasons were widely regarded as slow and unresponsive, offering limited assistance to bowlers and making it difficult to force victories.

In one-day cricket, performances were similarly mixed. Hampshire competed respectably in the Norwich Union League Division Two but did not achieve promotion, while their cup campaigns did not produce a major run. However, there were signs of a developing one-day format identity that would soon become important. John Crawley made two limited overs centuries at the Rose Bowl: 113* against Somerset in the C&G Trophy and 103* against Middlesex in the B&H Cup. The other Rose Ball one-day game centuries were made by Will Kendall and John Francis. The only 5 wicket haul for Hampshire Hawks was Dimi Mascarenhas, when he took 5-27 at home against the Gloucestershire Gladiators. Jason Laney and Jimmy Adams both made double centuries for the 2nd XI. Adrian Aymes and Giles White retired at the end of the summer, while Robin Smith relinquished the captaincy.

Off the field, 2002 was arguably more significant. The Rose Bowl remained a work in progress, with infrastructure still being developed and refined. Permanent stands were gradually expanded, and spectator facilities improved as the club adapted to hosting larger crowds in a more modern setting. Crucially, the ground began establishing its reputation within English cricket. While still early in its life, it was increasingly seen as a future international venue, reflecting both its capacity and ambition. Overall, 2002 was a foundational season. Results were secondary to stabilisation, and by its end Hampshire had begun to adapt to their new home, even if success on the field remained limited.

Quiz Answer:  Phil Mead, Roy Marshall, George Brown, Jimmy Gray, Johnny Arnold, Henry Horton, Gordon Greenidge, Peter Sainsbury, David Turner and Alec Bowell.

• Robin eventually stands 9th in that list now with 18,984 first-class runs.

Quiz Question:  Robin Smith, in his final season, played for Hampshire in a competitive match against Rahul Dravid in another country during the domestic English summer of 2003. What was the game?

See the bottom of the article for the answer

In 2003 Hampshire County Cricket Club showed clear signs of progress at the Rose Bowl, with greater familiarity translating into improved performances—most notably in one-day cricket. It was a truly historic year for the venue. On 13th June the first ever round of T20 matches anywhere in the world included the first ever Sky televised T20 match between Hampshire v Sussex at the Rose Bowl. Fittingly, Hampshire won a very close game by 5 runs in front of a full house of 8,687 fans. James Hamblin immediately picked up the tempo of this new shorter format, hitting 7 boundaries from the 27 balls he faced, opening with Derek Kenway. Wasim Akram, the world-class Pakistan all-rounder came in at three and hit Hampshire’s first ever six in T20 cricket. Hampshire were bowled out for 153 in 19.4 overs. Despite batting their full allocation and only losing 7 wickets, Sussex lost out narrowly in the first ever South Coast derby leaving the jubilant home fans to stay on after the finish for the music that followed.

It proved a great dress rehearsal for the first Rose Bowl ODI between South Africa and Zimbabwe less than a month later. The 50-over game was won easily by South Africa by 7 wickets with just under 15 overs to spare. Makhaya Ntini (4-45) extracted early movement, and only former Hampshire all-rounder Heath Streak offered real resistance with 50 for Zimbabwe. Geoffrey Dean wrote in The Times, “New stage, same script. The Rose Bowl having unveiled itself to international cricket for the first time, provided a magnificent setting on a sublime day, but Zimbabwe’s batsmen fluffed their lines again to hasten an early finish to this particular West End production.”

Hampshire began the 2003 season with John Crawley as the new captain. At the age of 37, Wasim Akram was signed with Simon Katich as overseas players. Ed Giddins also joined from Surrey, having played for Hampshire 2nd XI a number of years earlier. Katich proved a fine acquisition with 1,143 runs at 60.15. Two of his four Championship centuries were made at the Rose Bowl against Durham (135) and Northants (117). Nic Pothas (121) made the most remarkable century of the season on the new ground in mid-July, in one of Hampshire’s greatest ever County Championship victories in the county’s rich history. Having been completely outplayed for two days, Hampshire followed on against Glamorgan. The deficit was 252 runs on first innings; Hampshire eventually won by 94 runs. Hampshire’s second innings of 449 also included Richard Hindley making 68 not out. His only ever appearance for Hampshire was a very special one indeed. Chris Tremlett’s 6-51 in Glamorgan’s capitulation for 104 was the season’s best analysis by any bowler for Hampshire in the Championship.

Slightly less distinguished ‘one game wonders’ were Dominic Clapp and Mark Thorburn who were on trial in the Oxford University game in the Parks. They were the 465th and 466th players to play for Hampshire in first-class cricket. It was only during 2003 that Dave Allen, Vic Isaacs, Andrew Renshaw and Stephen Saunders completed all the research to put every Hampshire player in order to create that very list. All members can see the fruits of their labours with the beautiful display board which now hangs in the Atrium with the full up-to date list. Sri Lankan Test bowler Chaminda Vaas arrived in the second half of the season as a replacement for Wasim Akram and took the tally to 468. Nobody on that board has more initials than WPUJC Vaas. 

There are only five players who have ever represented Hampshire in first-class cricket with a surname beginning with “V”; they have all done so in the 21st Century and played at the Utilita Bowl. One of them, Charlie van der Gucht, very sadly had to retire in July 2003 after battling valiantly to recover from a serious car accident. His only first-class appearance was three years earlier when he took 3-75 against Zimbabwe. Internationals Adam Voges, James Vince and Tilak Varma make up the five. All three of them could very definitely play in the V!

Meanwhile, Derek Kenway’s 115 against Gloucestershire was Hampshire’s only other first-class century at the Rose Bowl in 2003. During the course of the summer eight opposition players scored hundreds against Hampshire in the longer format. The final innings of Robin Smith’s illustrious career came at Taunton in late August with yet another half-century. Nursing a bad hamstring injury and batting with a runner, he walked off 56 not out, when Hampshire were dismissed in their first innings for 395. In reply, Somerset made 705 for 9 declared. This was the highest opposition score against Hampshire in the County Championship since Surrey’s 742 at the Oval in 1909.

Overall, in the County Championship Division Two, Hampshire finished only one place off the bottom with 140 points. The only victory, apart from in that incredible fightback against Glamorgan, came in the battle for the wooden spoon at Derby in late September. Player of the Season Simon Katich’s hundred was vital, as was a six-over spell from a very young James Tomlinson after lunch on the last day of the Championship season. His spell of 5 for 9 set up a 10-wicket victory, achieved an hour later. The issue of drawn matches persisted, still influenced by the nature of the pitches, but the side was harder to beat and arguably showed incremental progress with the emergence of promising academy graduates.

In the 45-over National League, Hampshire remained very competitive, eventually achieving achieving promotion on the final day of the season. Finishing third in a competitive league of ten, with 11 wins from 18 games, was definitely a big improvement for the club. The leading wicket-taker was Dimitri Mascarenhas with 34 wickets at just 17.2, while Nic Pothas was top of the batting averages in his first season - with an average of 71 from his 8 innings in the ECB National Cricket League. In the first ever C&G Trophy game hosted at the Rose Bowl, Sussex spoilt the party in early May. The Twenty20 Cup season also fell away immediately after that first win on Sky against Sussex. Surrey topped the South Zone Table and went on to win the first ever T20 Trophy Final.

On a much brighter note - and at the fourth time of asking - the 2nd XI finally won the ECB 2nd XI Trophy. In the Final against Warwickshire at the Rose Bowl. Jimmy Adams made 97 not out off just 108 balls, as Hampshire romped home by nine wickets. There was a nucleus of young players in that squad who were to break through into the first team in the years to follow, including Chris Benham, Greg Lamb, James Bruce, Chris Tremlett, James Tomlinson, Laurence Prittipaul, Kevin Latouf and Jimmy of course.

Off the field, the Rose Bowl continued to evolve. By its third season, the ground was becoming more established, with ongoing improvements to facilities and a growing sense of permanence. The venue’s reputation also continued to grow within the domestic game, increasingly viewed as a key part of English cricket’s future structure. In early 2004, the Club received the accolade of being one of three venues chosen – together with The Oval and Edgbaston – to host the Champions Trophy in September 2004.  In late August, it also staged its first concerts. More than 10,000 tickets were sold for boy band Blue. 24 hours later Aled Jones’ classical concert with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra was also well supported. From November 1st, 2003, Hampshire County Cricket Club Limited formally changed its name to Hampshire Cricket Limited. It remained a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rose Bowl plc.

The final word on the 2003 season, though, must be Rod Bransgrove’s summary of Robin Smith’s retirement after 23 years’ yeoman service. He wrote on page 32 of the very fine 2004 Hampshire Handbook, “It is my view that Robin is probably the most important player in the history of Hampshire cricket. His ability to consistently score runs on the big occasions set him apart from other batsmen and his loyalty, a characteristic which is regularly challenged by avarice these days, sets him apart from other men”

Quiz Answer:  In the ECB National Cricket League Division Two, Hampshire Hawks played the Scotland Saltires away at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh on June 1st, 2003. Dravid made 23 for Scotland, batting at number 3, in their 201-8 (from their allotted 45 overs). Robin Smith’s 82 not out earned him the Man of the Match Award in Hampshire’s 6 wicket win. Robin’s Scottish born mother Joy was there to see him pass 7,000 one-day league runs during his match-winning knock.

Quiz Question:  Which player took the first-ever hat-trick in the Twenty20 Cup Competition, as well as winning Hampshire’s Player of the Season award in 2004 ?

See the bottom of the article for the answer

Shane Warne (captain) and Michael Clarke were the two overseas players although when Clarke returned to Australia, Shane Watson replaced him as the second overseas player and in his one Championship appearance scored a century on county debut, the fifth Hampshire player to do so. Shane Warne proved an inspiration as captain.

In the Frizzell County Championship, Hampshire were promoted, finishing runners-up to Nottinghamshire. Nine victories were achieved. The final points total of 228 was 32 clear of third-placed Glamorgan. Of the 12 first-class centuries score, five were made at the Rose Bowl. Leading the way was new recruit Michael Brown with unbeaten centuries against Glamorgan and Leicestershire. John Crawley scored 301* and Michael Clarke two centuries in the match at Trent Bridge. Crawley’s innings was the first Hampshire triple century since RH Moore’s record innings in 1937. Hampshire posted 641-4 declared but Nottinghamshire replied with 612 and the match was drawn. It was only the third time in a Championship match that both sides passed 600 on first innings. At the Rose Bowl, Phil Jacques (Yorkshire) and Will Jefferson (Essex) both scored double centuries and Essex beat Hampshire by 384 runs, Hampshire’s highest-ever runs defeat. No batsman scored 1,000 runs, but seven averaged over 30; Crawley led the way with 938 at 52.11. Dimi Mascarenhas took 56 Championship wickets and Warne 51. No other first-class matches against the universities or touring sides were played by Hampshire in 2004.

Hampshire finished third in Division One of the National League; Nic Pothas was top scorer and Alan Mullally and Warne led the wicket-takers although Mascarenhas was most economical. In the C&G Trophy Hampshire beat Cheshire, but lost in the 3rd Round at Bristol. Warne elected to bat first on a green pitch and they were dismissed for 154, losing by three wickets.

Shane Watson scored 97* v Kent in the T20 helping Hampshire to clinch a quarter-final place. At that time, it was Hampshire’s highest T20 score. At Hove, Hampshire arrested a run of defeats since their victory v Sussex in the first-ever match in 2003. Mascarenhas took 5-14 including the first ever T20 ‘hat-trick’ as Sussex were dismissed for 67. In the first-ever Rose Bowl T20 Quarter-Final, the Hawks lost to Lancashire by nine wickets.

Michael Brown joined from Middlesex and became the 469th Hampshire debutant.  Michael Clarke (470), Billy Taylor (471), Shane Watson (472), Chris Benham (473) and Greg Lamb (474) all made their debuts. At the end of the season, Michael Clarke and Chris Tremlett received their county caps, while Will Kendall and James Hamblin retired.

Hampshire gained approval in November 2004 to install permanent floodlights from 2006. A scheduled international match between New Zealand and West Indies was abandoned with no play.

During September, ICC Trophy matches were played at various English grounds including five at the Rose Bowl. The first between India and Kenya was in front of a crowd of more than 12,000. India won by 98 runs and their captain Sourav Ganguly made 90. Australia then defeated the USA by 9 wickets. Bangladesh could only muster 131 in reply to the West Indies 269, for whom Chris Gayle top-scored with 99. A capacity crowd of just over 16,000 saw England make 118 for 3 from 32 overs before the rain halted play for the day on 17th September. With more rain preventing a scheduled finish the following day, they eventually beat Sri Lanka by 49 runs on Duckworth Lewis. Andrew Flintoff scored 104 from 91 balls, in an innings contained nine 4’s and three 6’s. West Indies knocked-out Pakistan, who could only muster 131, in the Rose Bowl Semi-Final. The most exciting game of the tournament was the Final at the Oval where a late-order partnership saw West Indies triumph over England.

Champions: Warwickshire, Knock-out Cup: Gloucestershire, National League: Glamorgan, T20: Leicestershire

South Wilts won the Southern Electric Premier League, with Havant runners-up.

Quiz Answer:  Dimitri Mascarenhas. He took 5-14 at Hove in the Twenty20 Group game at Hove when Sussex were bowled out for the competition’s lowest score of 67. Live on Sky, Hampshire only won the game by 3 wickets off the last ball of the 19th over. Dimi took 56 Championship wickets at just 18.67 with the best analysis of 6-25 against Derbyshire at the Rose Bowl. He also scored 104 at Durham.

Quiz Question:  Who else apart from John Crawley (301*) made a century when Hampshire totalled 714-5 at the Rose Bowl in September 2005?

See the bottom of the article for the answer

Champions: Nottinghamshire, Knock-out Cup: Hampshire, National League: Essex, T20: Somerset

After 13 barren years, Hampshire won a trophy, defeating Warwickshire in the C&G Trophy Final at Lord’s in an exciting match on a fine day. Since they also finished runners-up to County Champions Nottinghamshire, it was a successful season although the Championship conclusion brought frustration.

During the winter Hampshire signed Sean Ervine who had played for Zimbabwe in the Rose Bowl’s first international match, plus Kevin Pietersen and Richard Logan from Nottinghamshire. Pietersen made an impressive debut for England’s limited-overs side in South Africa, scoring three centuries for England in that series. He then participated in England’s thrilling recovery of the Ashes in 2005. Chris Tremlett made his limited-overs debut for England and took two wickets in two balls v Bangladesh at Trent Bridge.

Hampshire beat Shropshire, Glamorgan, Surrey and Yorkshire on their way to the Lord’s Final. At the Oval, Surrey posted 358-6, a record against the county, but Watson with 132 led the reply, supported by forties from Crawley, New Zealander Craig McMillan and Udal who was deputizing as captain for Warne while he participated in the Ashes series. Ervine’s century took Hampshire to victory in the semi-final, and he repeated the feat in the final, while Australians (‘Andy’) Bichel and Watson took three wickets each. Despite a fine century from Nick Knight, Hampshire won by 18 runs.

By contrast, Hampshire won just five of their 16 National League matches finished bottom and were relegated. They won just three of their eight T20 matches so did not qualify for the knock-out stages.

In the Championship, Hampshire won three and drew two of the first five matches before a reverse at Stratford from where they went to Trent Bridge and in a rain-affected match challenged Nottinghamshire to score 276 to win. They reached 250-4 but with 18 needed from four overs, Chris Tremlett’s ‘hat-trick’ reduced them to 261-9 and Warne completed the victory. With Pothas injured, deputy John Crawley effected six dismissals in the second innings – a Hampshire record. They topped the table, but two defeats followed.

At Cheltenham, Bichel who had replaced McMillan scored 138 on debut, the sixth debut centurion at Hampshire, sharing a record eighth wicket partnership with Pothas (139), which rescued Hampshire from 81-7 as they added 257. In mid-September Hampshire still had hopes of the title until at Canterbury, Nottinghamshire declared setting Kent 420 in 70 overs and bowled them out. The new Champions came to the Rose Bowl for the last match and with Warne still angry about that game, Hampshire posted their record score of 714-5 although he declared on Crawley when, with 311*, he was just five runs short of Moore’s record score for Hampshire. Mascarenhas and Udal bowled Hampshire to victory by an innings and 188 runs.

On 13 June, at the Rose Bowl, England beat Australia by 100 runs in the first-ever T20 international, while Oasis appeared in a concert on the ground. The plc announced a significant operating loss. Two local players, Derek Kenway and Lawrence Prittipaul were released and Alan Mullally, who was the season’s beneficiary, retired.

BAT Sports won the Southern Electric Premier League, with South Wilts runners-up.

Quiz Answer:  Dimitri Mascarenhas made 103* in Hampshire’s record score on our home ground.

Quiz Question: What was particularly special about Hampshire’s win against Surrey on June 4th, 2006?

See the bottom of the article for the answer

Champions: Sussex, Knock-out cup; Sussex, Pro40: Essex, T20: Leicestershire

Glen Delve came to Hampshire as their new Chief Executive; he would later become managing Director, leaving in 2012, at which point Rod Bransgrove took on the role. In the winter of 2006 Shaun Udal was a member of England’s touring side and took 4-14 v India in Bombay to help them clinch victory. Udal was the first Hampshire-born, Hampshire cricketer to represent England since AJL Hill in South Africa in 1896. Shane Warne returned as captain and Hampshire finished third in the Championship, although never quite in contention as they had been in 2005.

In the Championship, John Crawley was the outstanding batsman again with 1,737 runs at 66.80, while Jimmy Adams realised his promise and (age 25) scored 1,173 runs at 45.11 – including 262* at Trent Bridge. Pothas averaged 64.86 and he and newcomer Michael Carberry (Surrey and Kent) passed 900. The bowling was less strong; Warne with 58 wickets at 27.08 led the wicket-takers and Tremlett with 34 wickets at 24.55 topped the averages but missed seven matches with injury. The overseas player Australian Dominic Thornely had an unremarkable season although he was most effective in limited-overs cricket.

Hampshire beat Yorkshire in the Championship twice in season for the first time and were the first side ever to score over 400 in a fourth innings against Yorkshire to win a match – Adams leading the way with 168*. Billy Taylor took a ‘hat-trick’ v Middlesex – the first by anyone at the Rose Bowl. Crawley scored two hundreds in the same match v Nottinghamshire at the Rose Bowl, the only instance on that ground. Pothas took seven dismissals (all caught) v Lancashire at Old Trafford – a Hampshire record. To induce a declaration, Warne used all eleven bowlers in the match v Middlesex at Lord’s – the first instance by Hampshire since 1897 but the match ended in a draw.

Hampshire enjoyed most success in the revamped National League now known as the Pro40. They won five of their eight matches, finishing third which took them into a televised promotion play-off against Glamorgan at the Rose Bowl, which Hampshire won by 151 runs. They posted 265-9 in their 40 overs led by Chris Benham with 158. Glamorgan collapsed and only a last wicket partnership of 25 took them to three figures. In the C&G Hampshire finished fourth in their group with only the top teams qualifying directly for the final although again they made Glamorgan suffer, posting 310-7 in their 50 overs, the highest limited-overs total on the ground.

In March, the President, Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie died and on 29 June, many Hampshire players and officials attended his Memorial Service at St Paul’s Cathedral. Out of respect, the position of President was not filled. On the evening of the service, Carberry (90), Mitchell Stokes (62) and Thorneley (50) took Hampshire to their T20 record of 225-2 and they beat Middlesex by 59 runs (Thorneley 3-30). Stokes from Basingstoke played a number of T20 matches while on a summer contract but departed at the end of the following season without playing first-class cricket.

‘Dimi’ Mascarenhas was the beneficiary. David Griffiths was the first Isle of Wight cricketer since the war to play in first-class cricket and Kevin Latouf who had played in the C&G Final also made his first-class debut. Liam Dawson took 6-9 for England Under-19 v Malaysia Under-19, the best figures ever for that England age group. James Tomlinson showed promise with 44 wickets for the 2nd XI.

Permanent floodlights were installed, and two international men’s matches were held at the Rose Bowl; a second T20 in which England beat Sri Lanka and a longer match, England v Pakistan. In the women’s NatWest One-Day series, England beat India twice on August 24th and 25th. A 17-year-old Sarah Taylor picked up the player-of-the-match award after top-scoring with 61 in the first game, which England won by 3 wickets.  In November, Hampshire announced £35m plans to develop the ground with new stands, a hotel and enlarged golf course. The ECB awarded the Rose Bowl Provisional ‘Category A’ status with respect to major matches. Hampshire announced that from 2007, Barry Richards would succeed Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie as President.

BAT Sports won the Southern Electric Premier League, with Bashley (Rydal) runners-up.

Quiz Answer: Shane Warne recorded his best one-day cricket figures with 6 for 42 against Surrey at Whitgift School in the C&G Group game. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate by Solent University in 2006.

Quiz Question: What was unique about the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy Final where Hampshire played Durham at Lord’s?

See the bottom of the article for the answer

Champions: Sussex, Knock-out Cup: Durham, Pro40: Worcestershire, T20: Kent

Shane Warne continued as captain with the additional overseas players, Stuart Clark (Australia) then Daren Powell (West Indies). Michael Lumb moved to Hampshire from Yorkshire. Chris Tremlett was the first-ever Hampshire-born, Hampshire player to represent England in a Test Match in England (v India). England met India in a limited-overs international at the Rose Bowl.

In the Championship, Hampshire finished fifth. Michael Carberry and Michael Brown passed 1,000 runs and Warne took 50 wickets but at almost 30 apiece. Ottis Gibson took 10-47 for Durham v Hampshire at Chester-le-Street – the best bowling ever against Hampshire in the Championship and the only instance of ten wickets in an innings, for or against Hampshire in the Championship. In the same match Michael Brown carried his bat in the first innings and was not out with Hampshire nine wickets down in the second – no Hampshire player has ever carried his bat in both innings of the same match.

Hampshire featured in two high scoring matches v Surrey. At the Oval in April, Hampshire posted 481-9 declared. without a single century and eventually set Surrey 503 to win. Centuries from Batty and Salisbury took them to within 36 of the target – the highest fourth innings ever against Hampshire. In the return match, Surrey’s 556 was the highest total by a visiting side at the Rose Bowl and Surrey won by an innings, despite a century by Jimmy Adams. In the next match Hampshire beat Worcestershire at Kidderminster after the game had been switched from a flooded Worcester ground. Michael Carberry scored centuries in both innings. He finished the County Championship season with 1097 runs at an average of 50.8. His opening partner, Michael Brown, made 1078 runs at 43.12. Shane Warne took five wickets or more five times in the season. In the Durham game at the Rose Bowl in June, he finished with match figures of 11-133. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Liam Dawson made his Championship debut at Headingley in September, shortly after his youngest-ever limited-overs debut for Hampshire.

Hampshire finished fourth in the Pro40 League and with only one victory were bottom of their T20 group. However, they topped their Friends Provident Trophy group and met Warwickshire at the Rose Bowl in the semi-final, which they won by 40 runs. They played Durham in the Final and for the first and only time lost a Lord’s Final after a poor performance that went into a second day because of rain. Durham posted 312-5 in their 50 overs and reduced Hampshire to 0-2 and 17-3. Crawley (68) and Pothas (47) managed a recovery of sorts, but they lost by 125 runs.

For England at the Oval in September, ‘Dimi’ Mascarenhas hit five sixes in an over by India’s Yuvraj Singh – a limited-overs record for England. John Crawley was the season’s beneficiary. Shaun Udal retired at the end of the season but subsequently joined Middlesex. During the winter James Bruce retired and then just before the start of the 2008 season, Shane Warne announced his retirement from all cricket, although he would subsequently play in the Indian Premier League.

Derek Shackleton died on 28th September 2007. He remains the highest wicket-taker in the county’s history with 2669 first-class wickets in 583 matches and played seven Test Matches. He took 100 first-class wickets in twenty consecutive seasons – a record for any side. None of those records will ever be broken.

Hampshire were awarded their first Test Match, scheduled to take place in 2011. Havant won the Southern Electric Premier League, with Hampshire Academy runners-up.

Quiz Answer:  It was the only final that Shane Warne played in for Hampshire. Hampshire played in nine Lord’s knock-out Cup Finals - in 1988, 1991, 1992, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2018 and 2019. The first one we lost was that Durham Final in 2007.The only other loss at Headquarters was the last one in 2019.

Quiz Question: Who became the youngest player ever to make a first-class hundred for Hampshire, when he finished 100 not out on the last day of the season at Trent Bridge?

See the bottom of the article for the answer

Champions: Durham, Knock-out Cup: Essex, Pro40 League: Sussex, T20: Middlesex

‘Dimi’ Mascarenhas was appointed captain, and in May became the first county cricketer to appear in the T20 Indian Premier League. Hampshire finished third again in the Championship, but this was the result of a significant late improvement, after they had lost four and drawn six of the first 11 matches. Even their one victory, in Durham, was by just four runs. Then Tomlinson and Imran Tahir induced a second innings collapse by Yorkshire. Hampshire won, as they did from three of their last four matches, and they rose rapidly away from threatened relegation. By this time Giles White had replaced Paul Terry as Cricket Manager.

Hampshire’s first overseas player of 2008, Shane Bond, took 7-66 v Sussex at the Rose Bowl, the best-ever figures for Hampshire on Championship debut. After he departed, Hampshire signed leg spinner Imran Tahir who equalled that innings record and his match figures of 12-189 were the best-ever on Hampshire debut. Pothas dismissed 10 batsmen in the match v Durham at Chester-le-Street to equal the Hampshire record.  On his only Championship appearance for Hampshire over five consecutive seasons, Pietersen scored a century v Somerset at Taunton. Pothas and Brown passed 900 runs, but no one reached four figures. Tomlinson’s 67 wickets were Hampshire’s highest for a first-class season since moving to the Rose Bowl and in seven matches, Imran Tahir took 44 at 16.68. James Tomlinson was the Player of the Season.

Hampshire played well in the Pro40, finishing runners-up to Sussex with two of their eight matches ending as No Result. They failed to qualify in the Friends Provident Trophy while Ian Harvey and M (‘Nantie’) Hayward played as overseas players in the T20, but Hampshire failed to qualify again and their 85 all out v Sussex, was their lowest T20 score at the Rose Bowl.  For the first time, T20 Finals Day was held at the Rose Bowl, and won by Middlesex including Shaun Udal and with Richard Scott as a coach. Michael Brown moved to Surrey but not before he captained Hampshire 2nd XI to their Trophy success, beating Essex by 7 runs. James Vince top-scored with 58 and Danny Briggs showed promise with 2-47.

On August 1st ‘Butch’ White passed way, aged seventy-two. A Championship winner with Hampshire in 1961, he made two Test appearances for England against Pakistan the following winter. Overall, he took 1097 wickets for Hampshire at 23.36, with a best of 9-44 at Portsmouth in 1966. ‘Butch’ was the last Hampshire bowler to take two first-class hat-tricks for the club. Both were against Sussex in 1961 and 1962. In late August, with American rock band REM appearing at the Rose Bowl, Hampshire returned to Basingstoke to play Durham. In a great game, Liam Dawson made his highest first-class score to date of 28, late in the final day chase, in a defining partnership with Sean Ervine who finished with 94 not out. Hampshire won by 2 wickets. Durham finished the season as Champions, losing just three of their sixteen matches. Two of those losses were home and away against Hampshire.

On Saturday 13 September, a Hambledon XII met 12 men from Broadhalfpenny Down Association to mark the centenary of the only first-class match on the ground when the commemorative stone was unveiled. Hampshire cricketers Nic Pothas, Michael Brown, Derek Kenway, Will Kendall, John Stephenson, James Bruce, Ian Turner, Raj Maru appeared as did James Fry, the great-grandson of CB Fry and grandson/son of former Hampshire players. JRT Barclay captained the Broadhalfpenny Down side, and in the evening there was a supper in the Bat & Ball Inn with musical entertainment arranged by David Rayvern Allen and a group of singers.

Havant won the Southern Electric Premier League, with South Wilts runners-up.

Quiz Answer:  Liam Dawson was just 18 years and 211 days old when he reached his century on Saturday 27th September 2008. Dimi Mascarenhas duly declared on 449 for 5, with Nic Pothas also unbeaten with 125. Hampshire then bowled Notts out for 238, to win the game by 203 runs.