Latest Match Report – Hampshire vs Lancashire 2023

Hampshire 142 and 119 (Gubbins 45*, Middleton 44*) for 1 path Lancashire 374 (Salt 103, Mitchell 68, Organ 6-67) by 113 runs

Right here I’m going out to sea once more
The sunshine fills my hair
And desires grasp within the air

The climate helped issues alongside, too. The solar pierced all however the thickest bed room curtains at seven o’clock and it braised the primary spectators as they arrange their base camp on the Harrod Drive Finish two hours later. One was reminded that in one in all his state visits to the UK the Shah of Persia discovered himself seated subsequent to a woman from Edinburgh. “Inform me, Sire,” she started, “they are saying you worship the solar in your nation.” “So would you, madam, if you happen to had ever seen it,” got here the reply. It is debatable whether or not that story is testomony to Dunedinian gloom or the fierceness of the Persian summer season however both manner, there was no doubting the dominance of the solar at Trafalgar Highway.

It shone on Salt and Josh Bohannon as they whippeted between the wickets of their stand of 74, calling one another sharply and responding with an instinctive appreciation of the potential. It powered down on Salt a minute earlier than midday when an inside-edged 4 off his pad took him to his maiden century for Lancashire and his first in red-ball cricket since Could 2019. Then it bestowed the warmest blessing on Organ when the offspinner eliminated Salt, Dane Vilas and Rob Jones earlier than lunch and cleaned up Lancashire’s tail to complete with a career-best 6 for 67 in mid-afternoon.

And sure, the solar additionally blessed the battalion of volunteers as they willingly strapped themselves in for a second day of caring, catering and clearing up. For this was one other day when cricketers and people who love the sport obtain some recompense for these fuliginous December mornings when daylight appears a ineffective accent to a dank world.

The impediment to Hampshire’s appreciation of all of it was they started the morning to date behind within the sport that even first session – 4 prime wickets for 121 runs – nonetheless left them on the jagged fringe of issues. The Lancashire batter principally chargeable for the guests’ plight on the primary night was Salt and his progress to a few figures this morning reminded one a bit of his maiden red-ball century for Sussex practically 5 years in the past

Since that golden afternoon at Arundel, Salt has performed short-form cricket for – deep breath – Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Barbados Tridents, Adelaide Strikers, Manchester Originals, Dambulla Giants, Pretoria Capitals, Delhi Capitals and, for all I do know, Dagenham Lady Pipers’ Second Crew within the Essex Inclusion League. However what was plain on Sunday night and once more this morning was that Salt’s keenness to assault has not spoiled his appreciation of defensive batting when the event calls for it. Solely when Keith Barker examined him exterior the off stump did his approach look defective and if that weak point might be remedied, he may nonetheless be a really tremendous first-class cricketer. Whether or not or not he has the time and inclination to develop such expertise are issues solely he can handle.

Maybe an analogous problem was as soon as confronted by Daryl Mitchell, who’s now ranked the ninth finest Take a look at batter on the planet. Mitchell revealed his preparedness to tackle the bowling when he took 14 runs off his first three balls from Organ and the New Zealander’s 68 was principally chargeable for guaranteeing that Lancashire later batters constructed a first-innings lead of 232.

A lot was additionally very acceptable for a lot of the crowd at Trafalgar Highway however the 40-over night session belonged to Hampshire’s batsmen. Most notably, it belonged to Nick Gubbins, who had been sawn off within the first innings and to Fletcha Middleton, who had made nought and dropped three catches. Through the course of one of many latter he deflected the ball into Liam Dawson’s mush, inflicting the sluggish left-armer to go away the sphere and go to hospital for stitches in his higher lip.

All of which prompt that Middleton owed his workforce some runs and his unbroken 95-run alliance with Gubbins reminded one which great days like this are so typically gradual affairs through which any benefit is tough received. Lancashire needed to be glad with the wicket of Joe Weatherley, whose innocent ahead defensive nicked a catch to Tom Hartley off Tom Bailey. A number of spectators left Trafalgar Highway in the course of the subsequent stand however the majority stayed, patiently observing Vilas’s rotation of his bowlers, savouring the battle, watching intently.