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.