Latest Match Report – Hampshire vs Middlesex Group 2 2021

5 wickets in afternoon session peg again hosts, who had gained by an innings at Leicestershire

Hampshire 281 for eight (Holland 64, Northeast 63) vs Middlesex

In the event you’re solely pretty much as good as your final outcome, then the gulf between Hampshire and Middlesex was trying fairly broad coming into his match. Hampshire won by an innings away to Leicestershire within the opening spherical, three gamers citing lots of (together with a James Vince double) on the best way to 612 for five declared; Middlesex, in the meantime, squandered a couple of successful place earlier than finally surrendering to Somerset in a topsy-turvy encounter at Lord’s.

However the first day of this contest in Southampton produced a fair tussle for ascendency between two groups blessed with a number of cricketers of worldwide customary, together with half a dozen who’ve worn whites for England. Middlesex’s depth of seam bowling saved them within the hunt after Hampshire had chosen to bat, with 5 wickets in the course of the afternoon session serving to to peg the hosts again after a gradual begin.

By no means thoughts kind, latest historical past was arguably much more in Hampshire’s favour. Two years in the past, when Hampshire completed third in Division One of many Championship, Middlesex have been left mugging alongside third from backside within the second tier. Although Stuart Legislation has seen outcomes with the London facet enhance since that summer season, his first as head coach, a hard-fought contest at Radlett in final yr’s Bob Willis Trophy went the best way of Hampshire by three wickets.

For the second week operating, Vince gained the toss – however this time there was to be no run deluge on a greenish Ageas Bowl floor, with fifties from Ian Holland and Sam Northeast the acme of their funding from 98 overs of batting. Hampshire dug out stable foundations, 77 for 1 at lunch and 191 for four shortly earlier than tea, however Middlesex’s four-pronged seam assault remained disciplined all through and earned reward for his or her persistence.

The dismissal of Vince, coming in off the again of 231 at Grace Street, went some method to summing up each Hampshire’s place on the finish of day one, and his personal standing in English batting folklore. Holland had simply been chiselled out by Toby Roland-Jones after a dogged innings – his first fifty in 15 innings going again to 2019 – and Vince walked out together with his facet 128 for three and in want of an innings of substance. As a substitute, there 9 balls of Vince doing Vincey issues: a few breezy boundaries off Martin Andersson, both facet of a cheeky play and miss, earlier than he flirted with a brief broad one and despatched a high edge to slide.

Vince kicked the air, his frustration palpable. “I suppose you have to say it was a bit free, actually,” sighed Dave Allen, the Hampshire cricket historian, on the membership’s livestream, within the method of somebody who has needed to ship comparable verdicts moderately extra usually than they’d have favored. Northeast’s demise somewhat afterward, feathering a lower to an innocuous Andersson supply, belonged in the identical class.

Middlesex have been all the time prone to have offered a higher take a look at for Hampshire’s batsmen than a callow Leicestershire bowling unit had managed final week; Roland-Jones was an England Take a look at seamer of burgeoning reputation earlier than a succession of premature accidents interrupted his progress, whereas Legislation was additionally ready to herald Steven Finn for his first first-class look since 2019. Tim Murtagh and Tom Helm made means, with Andersson stepping up as fourth seamer and Nathan Sowter’s legspin additionally favoured.

Finn made essential breakthroughs and regarded more and more in rhythm after an costly opening. He dismissed Hampshire’s two different Grace Street centurions in Tom Alsop, who top-edged a pull at his first ball after lunch, and Liam Dawson, caught at midwicket off a leg-stump half-volley. In between occasions there was a hostile spell that noticed each Holland crushed and Northeast squared up, an indication that there stays fuel within the tank for Finn at 32, half a lifetime on from his prodigious arrival on the scene for Middlesex.

There was additionally some Ethan Bamber-boozlement for Hampshire to take care of, the person nicknamed “Mini Murtagh” doing a satisfactory impression of his senior colleague together with his management and refined motion. Opener Joe Weatherley in all probability doesn’t usually need to take care of the keeper standing as much as the stumps inside the primary hour, and he was sufficiently foxed to stumble out of his crease, permitting John Simpson’s quick palms to complete the job; Bamber then got here again later within the day to strike with the second new ball.

Hampshire’s place may have been trickier had Max Holden not put down Holland on 9, off the bowling of Roland-Jones, and so they have been additionally grateful for Kyle Abbott lasting greater than 100 balls whereas serving to so as to add 60 helpful runs for the eighth and ninth wickets in the course of the remaining session. Abbott missed the 2020 summer season as a result of results of the pandemic however any intel gathered on the character of this Ageas Bowl floor could assist tip the stability as soon as once more when Hampshire come to bowl.