A New Era: Hampshire County Cricket Club

[MateGaming]

2nd May 2019: Hampshire vs Sussex
Royal London One Day Cup South Group

Hampshire won th????e toss and elected to bat first.

Our penultimate group game is the 'El Clasicoast' fixture, as Hampshire host Sussex, who have struggled so far and find themselves in 7th place. Gareth Berg is rested; Brad Taylor takes his place.

Hampshire: Tom Alsop+, Aneurin Donald, Aiden Markram, Sam Northeast*, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, James Fuller, Brad Taylor, Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood, Mason Crane
Sussex: Stiaan van Zyl, Harry Finch, Luke Wright, Laurie Evans, Phil Salt, Ben Brown+, David Wiese, Ollie Robinson, Will Beer, Danny Briggs, Mir Hamza

Hampshire: 363-5 (50 overs - Markram 183, Alsop 82; Robinson 3-71)
Sussex: 154 (21.1 overs - Brown 47; Dawson 4-37)

Result: Hampshire won by 209 runs
Points: Hampshire 2, Sussex 0
MOTM: Aiden Markram (Hampshire)

Another stunning victory, headlined by Aiden Markram's unbelievable knock of 183, his highest ever List A score, as well as breaking the same record for the club. Hampshire's total was their highest ever against Sussex, and at the Ageas Bowl. Sussex smashed 20 off Wood's opening over, but lost wickets consistently thereafter and fell to another heavy defeat.

[MateGaming]

5th May 2019: Somerset vs Hampshire
Royal London One Day Cup South Group

Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat first.

In our final group game, we take on Somerset who will be looking to pick up a win to secure a place in the knockout stages. Gareth Berg has picked up a short-term injury, so Brad Taylor keeps his place in the XI. It is expected that this fixture will be Aiden Markram's final appearance, at least for the time being.

Somerset: Azhar Ali, Steven Davies+, Tom Abell, Peter Trego, Roelof van der Merwe, Lewis Gregory, Tom Lammonby, Craig Overton, Dom Bess, Josh Davey, Jamie Overton
Hampshire: Tom Alsop+, Aneurin Donald, Aiden Markram, Sam Northeast*, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, James Fuller, Brad Taylor, Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood, Mason Crane

Hampshire: 272-7 (50 overs - Northeast 105, Rossouw 57*; Gregory 2-52)
Somerset: 274-6 (45.1 overs - Davies 109, vd Merwe 54; Abbott 2-47)

Result: Somerset won by 4 wickets
Points: Somerset 2, Hampshire 0
MOTM: Steven Davies (Somerset)

A disappointing way to end the group stage. After winning the toss, the clouds gathered and batting became harder than expected. Sam Northeast struck another stunning century and was well-supported by Rossouw, but after Somerset raced along in the opening stages, it was always going to be tough to pull the game back. In the end, Davies' century was enough as Somerset won and moved to third. Hampshire topped the group with fourteen points.

[MateGaming]

12th May 2019: Hampshire vs Essex
Royal London One Day Cup Semi Final

Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat first.

A home semi-final awaits after we topped the South Group, and we'll face Essex, who beat Nottinghamshire in their quarter-final. Unexpectedly, Aiden Markram remains available, and Gareth Berg returns from his injury, replacing Brad Taylor.

Hampshire: Tom Alsop+, Aneurin Donald, Aiden Markram, Sam Northeast*, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, James Fuller, Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood, Mason Crane
Essex: Varun Chopra, Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Ryan ten Doeschate, Cameron Delport, Adam Wheater+, Rishi Patel, Simon Harmer, Matt Coles, Peter Siddle, Jamie Porter

Hampshire: 300-9 (50 overs - Donald 110, Alsop 91; Siddle 3-54, Bopara 3-96)
Essex: 187 (29.5 overs - Wheater 78*; Abbott 3-17, Berg 3-44)

Result: Hampshire won by 113 runs
MOTM: Aneurin Donald (Hampshire)

After winning the toss and batting, we scored a slightly below-par 300. The opening partnership realised an incredible 212 runs, a record for Hampshire against Essex, as well as an Ageas Bowl record. Donald struck his maiden List A century, but there was little support from anyone else. After reducing Essex to 50-5 after ten overs, the win never looked in doubt, and despite a valiant effort from Wheater (the only Essex batsman to pass 20), they fell comfortably short. Hampshire will take on Middlesex in the final, after they beat Durham in their semi-final.

[MateGaming]

14th May 2019: Warwickshire vs Hampshire
Specsavers County Championship Division One

Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat first.

Hampshire return to red-ball action at Edgbaston, taking on strugglers Warwickshire, who are currently at the bottom of the table. Hampshire sit in third, and still have Aiden Markram available (South Africa have not yet selected their ICC World Cup squad). James Vince remains unavailable and is replaced by Aneurin Donald, who becomes the 706th player to represent the club in First Class cricket.

Warwickshire: Will Rhodes, Alex Mellor, Ed Pollock, Sam Hain, Adam Hose, Tim Ambrose+, Michael Burgess, Craig Miles, Jeetan Patel, Liam Norwell, Ryan Sidebottom
Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Aiden Markram, Tom Alsop+, Sam Northeast*, Rilee Rossouw, Aneurin Donald, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, Keith Barker, Kyle Abbott, Fidel Edwards

Hampshire 1st: 341 (104.4 overs - Alsop 129, Northeast 51; Norwell 4-99)
Warwickshire 1st: 292 (77.1 overs - Burgess 95, Rhodes 62; Dawson 3-49, Berg 3-66)
Hampshire 2nd: 287-5d (65.3 overs - Markram 138, Alsop 56, Rossouw 47; Sidebottom 3-91)
Warwickshire 2nd: 91 (54 overs - Barker 4-27, Berg 2-12, Edwards 2-22)

Result: Hampshire won by 245 runs
Points: Warwickshire 5, Hampshire 22
MOTM: Tom Alsop (Hampshire)

A convincing win on our return to Championship cricket. Alsop continued his impressive form in scoring a career-best 129 (his second First Class century). By Day 2, the clouds had started to roll in, and so the medium pace of Barker and Berg proved especially dangerous, though Burgess played well for 95. Markram then hit yet another brilliant century, scoring at a fast rate after rain had curtailed Day 3. In overcast conditions, Barker ripped through the Warwickshire top order to skittle them for just 91, Hampshire moving into second, but still nineteen points behind Yorkshire in first.

[MateGaming]

20th May 2019: Hampshire vs Nottinghamshire
Specsavers County Championship Division One

Toss uncontested, Nottinghamshire elected to bowl first.

In our final game before the Royal London One Day Cup Final, we face Nottinghamshire in the Isle of Wight. Aiden Markram is unavailable due to being selected by South Africa, but James Vince returns before England announce their ICC World Cup squad. Oli Soames also replaces Aneurin Donald in the need for an opener. Nottinghamshire are currently in fifth.

Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Oli Soames, James Vince*, Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Dawson, Tom Alsop+, Gareth Berg, Keith Barker, Kyle Abbott, Fidel Edwards
Nottinghamshire: Jake Libby, Steven Mullaney, Chris Nash, Joe Clarke, Tom Moores+, Paul Coughlin, Luke Wood, James Pattinson, Stuart Broad, Luke Fletcher, Jake Ball

Hampshire 1st: 463-7d (138.3 overs - Northeast 183, Rossouw 63, Weatherley 50; Fletcher 3-114)
Nottinghamshire 1st: 202 (59.3 overs - Libby 51, Wood 48; Abbott 4-52)
Hampshire 2nd: 154-5d (34.2 overs - Vince 58)
Nottinghamshire 2nd: 213 (72.4 overs - Wood 70; Abbott 4-46, Edwards 3-47)

Result: Hampshire won by 202 runs
Points: Hampshire 21, Nottinghamshire 2
MOTM: Sam Northeast (Hampshire)

After a slow start in the first innings, Northeast struck a fantastic 183 to put us in a commanding position. Abbott then starred with the ball as we dismissed Notts for only 202, before batting again and adding a quick 154 to our lead. Notts then required over 400 to win, and were eventually bowled out midway through Day 4 for 213, Abbott the key once again.

[MateGaming]

25th May 2019: Middlesex vs Hampshire
Royal London One Day Cup Final

Middlesex won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Having lost James Vince and Liam Dawson to the England squad, and with Aiden Markram continually unavailable, as well as overseas batsman Ajinkya Rahane, we have been forced to field a significantly weakened lineup for the final. Joe Weatherley and Lewis McManus play their first games in the competition this season.

Middlesex: Paul Stirling, Dawid Malan, Stevie Eskinazi, Nick Gubbins, Sam Robson, John Simpson+, James Harris, Jhye Richardson, Toby Roland-Jones, Tim Murtagh, Steven Finn
Hampshire: Tom Alsop+, Aneurin Donald, Joe Weatherley, Sam Northeast*, Rilee Rossouw, Lewis McManus, Gareth Berg, James Fuller, Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood, Mason Crane

Hampshire: 229-6 (50 overs - Alsop 80, Berg 55*, McManus 46; Murtagh 3-48)
Middlesex: 230-5 (38 overs - Stirling 114, Simpson 46*)

Result: Middlesex won by 5 wickets
MOTM: Paul Stirling (Middlesex)

It was always going to be difficult to defend a poor score like the one we had, but early wickets were key, and after Middlesex were reduced to 84-4, Hampshire were well in with a chance. However, a fifth-wicket partnership between Stirling and Simpson, worth 140, took the game out of our reach. After such a brilliant group stage, we failed at the final hurdle, but will be looking to go one step further next year.

[MateGaming]

Royal London One Day Cup Statistics
Batting/Fielding

Name	Matches	Innings	Not Outs	Runs	Average	High Score	50s	100s	S/R	Catches	Stumpings
Aiden Markram	9	9	0	733	81.44	183	3	3	103.2	5	0
Tom Alsop	10	10	1	567	63.00	143	4	1	78.3	20	0
Sam Northeast	10	9	1	422	52.75	112	0	2	96.3	1	0
Rilee Rossouw	10	9	3	350	58.33	75*	3	0	119.0	0	0
James Vince	5	5	2	166	55.33	80*	2	0	90.2	0	0
Aneurin Donald	5	5	0	166	33.20	110	0	1	83.4	2	0
Liam Dawson	9	8	4	137	34.25	53*	1	0	167.1	0	0
Gareth Berg	8	6	2	89	22.25	55*	1	0	84.7	2	0
James Fuller	10	7	3	49	12.25	15*	0	0	119.5	2	0
Lewis McManus	1	1	0	46	46.00	46	0	0	56.1	0	0
Kyle Abbott	10	5	3	35	17.50	16	0	0	116.7	0	0
Joe Weatherley	1	1	0	15	15.00	15	0	0	41.7	0	0
Mason Crane	10	2	1	12	12.00	6	0	0	200.0	0	0
Brad Taylor	2	1	0	11	11.00	11	0	0	122.2	0	0
Chris Wood	10	3	1	6	3.00	5	0	0	85.7	1	0

Bowling

Name	Matches	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Average	Best	Economy	S/R	5w
James Fuller	10	63	358	17	21.06	5-60	5.61	22.5	1
Gareth Berg	8	47	320	15	21.33	7-31	6.69	19.1	1
Liam Dawson	9	50	328	15	21.87	4-37	6.54	20.1	0
Kyle Abbott	10	65	379	15	25.27	4-52	5.83	26.0	0
Chris Wood	10	55	317	13	24.38	2-16	5.75	25.5	0
Mason Crane	10	59	317	8	39.62	2-29	5.30	44.9	0
Brad Taylor	2	7	51	1	51.00	1-15	7.29	42.0	0
Aiden Markram	9	4	27	0	-	0-0	6.75	-	0

Royal London One Day Cup Season Records

Highest Total: 363 vs Sussex, Southampton
Lowest Total: 229 vs Middlesex, Lord's
Highest Innings: 183 - Aiden Markram vs Sussex, Southampton (all time record)
Best Bowling: 7-31 - Gareth Berg vs Gloucestershire, Southampton
Most Runs: 733 - Aiden Markram
Most Wickets: 17 - James Fuller

Royal London One Day Cup Season Partnerships

Wicket	Partnership	Batsmen	Opposition	Location
1st	212	Tom Alsop & Aneurin Donald	Essex	Southampton
2nd	163	Tom Alsop & Aiden Markram	Sussex	Southampton
3rd	147	Aiden Markram & Sam Northeast	Kent	Canterbury
4th	129	Sam Northeast & Rilee Rossouw	Somerset	Taunton
5th	74*	Liam Dawson & Rilee Rossouw	Kent	Canterbury
6th	106	Lewis McManus & Gareth Berg	Middlesex	Lord's
7th	25	James Fuller & Liam Dawson	Surrey	London
8th	43	Kyle Abbott & Liam Dawson	Surrey	London
9th	18	Rilee Rossouw & Chris Wood	Gloucestershire	Southampton
10th	6	Mason Crane & Liam Dawson	Surrey	London

[MateGaming]

27th May 2019: Yorkshire vs Hampshire
Specsavers County Championship Division One

Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bat first.

Upon returning to Championship cricket, we are again left without Vince and Dawson. Ajinkya Rahane makes his Hampshire debut, becoming the 707th player to represent the club in First Class cricket, and the first ever Indian to play for Hampshire. Aneurin Donald also comes back in for a potentially early-season title decider, with both teams taking up the top two places in the table.

Yorkshire: Adam Lyth, Will Fraine, Gary Ballance, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Jack Leaning, Jonny Tattersall+, David Willey, Tim Bresnan, Ben Coad, Steve Patterson, Duanne Olivier
Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Oli Soames, Ajinkya Rahane, Sam Northeast*, Rilee Rossouw, Tom Alsop+, Aneurin Donald, Gareth Berg, Keith Barker, Kyle Abbott, Fidel Edwards

Yorkshire 1st: 226 (63 overs - Lyth 43; Barker 4-51, Edwards 3-58)
Hampshire 1st: 432 (129.4 overs - Rossouw 83, Soames 62, Berg 58; Willey 4-97)
Yorkshire 2nd: 186 (51.2 overs - Edwards 4-46, Abbott 3-54, Barker 3-58)

Result: Hampshire won by an innings and 20 runs
Points: Yorkshire 3, Hampshire 22
MOTM: Keith Barker (Hampshire)

Another relatively comfortable win against a strong side. Contributions all round, including a maiden Championship fifty for Oli Soames. The win takes us to the top of the table, and we'll be hoping to stay there in the weeks to come!

[MateGaming]

9th June 2019: Nottinghamshire vs Hampshire
Specsavers County Championship Division One

Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat first.

Hampshire's next Championship is against Nottinghamshire, who are sixth in the table. Mason Crane replaces Aneurin Donald and makes his first Championship appearance for Hampshire since 2017, after injury ruled him out of the entirety of last year's campaign.

Nottinghamshire: Ben Slater, Ben Duckett, Joe Clarke, Samit Patel, Jake Libby, Steven Mullaney, Luke Wood, Zak Chappell, James Pattinson, Stuart Broad, Luke Fletcher
Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Oli Soames, Ajinkya Rahane, Sam Northeast*, Rilee Rossouw, Tom Alsop+, Gareth Berg, Keith Barker, Kyle Abbott, Mason Crane, Fidel Edwards

Hampshire 1st: 452 (117.4 overs - Rossouw 128, Northeast 67, Weatherley 65, Rahane 54; Pattinson 5-100)
Nottinghamshire 1st: 88 (39.5 overs - Clarke 40; Barker 4-36, Abbott 3-21)
Nottinghamshire 2nd (f/o): 62 (26.3 overs - Barker 3-16, Berg 2-6, Edwards 2-15, Abbott 2-25)

Result: Hampshire won by an innings and 302 runs
Points: Nottinghamshire 2, Hampshire 24
MOTM: Keith Barker (Hampshire)

We won the toss and batted first on a road, with four of the top five batsmen cashing in and passing fifty, Rossouw the only one to convert it into a hundred. Inexplicably, Notts completely folded in both innings, offering absolutely no resistance and culminating in an embarrassing defeat for them. We remain at the top of the table, 29 points ahead of Surrey, although they have one game in hand.

[MateGaming]

16th June 2019: Essex vs Hampshire
Specsavers County Championship Division One

Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat first.

Hampshire are unchanged as they face sixth-placed Essex in the Championship, a fixture in which the visitors have traditionally struggled in the past.

Essex: Alastair Cook, Nick Browne, Tom Westley, Ravi Bopara, Varun Chopra, Ryan ten Doeschate, Adam Wheater+, Simon Harmer, Peter Siddle, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter
Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Oli Soames, Ajinkya Rahane, Sam Northeast*, Rilee Rossouw, Tom Alsop+, Gareth Berg, Keith Barker, Kyle Abbott, Mason Crane, Fidel Edwards

Hampshire 1st: 433 (115.4 overs - Berg 87, Weatherley 86, Northeast 54; Siddle 4-84, Harmer 4-124)
Essex 1st: 307 (85.4 overs - Cook 81, Bopara 49; Abbott 5-76)
Hampshire 2nd: 264-7d (52.5 overs - Soames 77rtd; Harmer 5-87)
Essex 2nd: 155 (69.5 overs - Bopara 70; Edwards 3-36, Abbott 3-53)

Result: Hampshire won by 235 runs
Points: Essex 5, Hampshire 23
MOTM: Kyle Abbott (Hampshire)

Another splendid performance away to Essex - first innings included multiple contributors, although Berg was still unable to end a four-year wait for a Hampshire century. Abbott then took his second five-wicket haul this season, before we racked up some quick runs in our second innings - Soames scoring 77 from 82 before being forced to retire hurt. Our pace attack then destroyed Essex's lineup in the second innings, with only Bopara offering any real resistance for the hosts.

[MateGaming]

30th June 2019: Somerset vs Hampshire
Specsavers County Championship Division One

Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat first.

With Oli Soames out for three weeks, there is a chance for Aneurin Donald to impress. Tom Alsop will open with Joe Weatherley, and the Welshman slots in at six, ahead of the bowling attack. Somerset sit bottom of the table having struggled so far.

Somerset: Azhar Ali, Marcus Trescothick, Tom Abell, James Hildreth, Steven Davies+, Roelof van der Merwe, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Dom Bess, Jack Brooks, Jack Leach
Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Tom Alsop+, Ajinkya Rahane, Sam Northeast, Rilee Rossouw, Aneurin Donald, Gareth Berg, Keith Barker, Kyle Abbott, Mason Crane, Fidel Edwards

???Hampshire 1st: 491-9d (112.3 overs - Rahane 150, Northeast 113, Rossouw 103; Overton 4-148)
Somerset 1st: 147 (39.1 overs - vd Merwe 43; Barker 3-44, Crane 2-9)
Somerset 2nd (f/o): 163 (57.3 overs - Abbott 3-39, Barker 3-64, Berg 2-16)

Result: Hampshire won by an innings and 181 runs
Points: Somerset 2, Hampshire 24
MOTM: Ajinkya Rahane (Hampshire)

Truth be told, Somerset played like a team rooted to the bottom of the table: they conceded more than four runs per over, including centuries for Rahane and Northeast - as they put on a third-wicket partnership worth 240 - and a stunning hundred for Rossouw off only 76 deliveries. They then capitulated in both innings with the bat, making the mistake of being too aggressive under cloud cover in the first innings. They look set for relegation at this rate, and Hampshire pick up yet another convincing victory.

[MateGaming]

6th July 2019: Hampshire vs Warwickshire
Specsavers County Championship Division One

Toss uncontested, Warwickshire elected to bowl first.

Aiden Markram has returned from international duty with South Africa after they were eliminated early from the World Cup. He replaces Ajinkya Rahane, who has become unavailable through the return of Markram.

Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Aiden Markram, Tom Alsop+, Sam Northeast*, Rilee Rossouw, Aneurin Donald, Gareth Berg, Keith Barker, Kyle Abbott, Mason Crane, Fidel Edwards
Warwickshire: Dom Sibley, Will Rhodes, Ed Pollock, Sam Hain, Tim Ambrose+, Michael Burgess, Alex Thomson, Olly Stone, Craig Miles, Jeetan Patel, Liam Norwell

Hampshire 1st: 286 (75 overs - Rossouw 85, Donald 50; Miles 5-91, Norwell 3-74)
Warwickshire 1st: 225 (76.5 overs - Hain 56, Stone 44*; Berg 4-44, Barker 3-56)
Hampshire 2nd: 203 (56.3 overs - Markram 82, Rossouw 48; Miles 5-84, Stone 4-63)
Warwickshire 2nd: 258 (71.5 overs - Rhodes 72, Burgess 59; Barker 5-52)

Result: Hampshire won by 6 runs
Points: Hampshire 21, Warwickshire 4
MOTM: Rilee Rossouw (Hampshire)

This was the closest, and most exciting, game we've had in a while. A substantial first innings partnership between Rossouw and Donald put us in a decent position after Warwickshire elected not to toss. Berg and Barker then took advantage of overcast conditions to take seven wickets between them. The majority of Day 3 was lost to rain, so Hampshire came out with positive intent, and Markram marked his return with an impressive 82. It seemed as though dropped catches would cost us in the end, but, needing just seventeen to win with five wickets left, Warwickshire collapsed and handed Hampshire a miraculous victory.

[GrahamB]

Wow! You're playing on normal level?

[danielallum]

Enjoyable read so far, Markram appears to be amazing for you! KUTGW.

[MateGaming]

Wow! You're playing on normal level?

I thought I was, but it does seem rather easy haha. Must have changed it out of old habit! Not planning on this save to be long-term anyway, I’ll be starting a new one with a smaller county fairly soon.