Cricket Battling Glo’sters can’t stop Hampshire’s victory charge
HAMPSHIRE maintained pace in the LV= Insurance County Championship title race as they patiently secured an 87-run victory over Gloucestershire.
Mohammad Abbas followed his first-innings six-wicket haul with 3-62, with Liam Dawson and James Fuller both grabbing two wickets apiece as they seized a final-session victory.
George Scott, pictured, and Miles Hammond’s half-centuries had given Gloucestershire hope of chasing down 368 and a first victory of the season but the second new ball claimed four wickets to dent their dream.
Hampshire moved to eight points behind early leaders Surrey after claiming a 21-point haul, while Gloucestershire escaped the bottom three with their three bonus points.
Hampshire began the day needing eight wickets, Gloucestershire required another
257 runs in what would have been the second greatest chase in their history and a draw wasn’t out the question either.
The morning session refused to suggest which way the result would be going. Seventy runs were scored, with the required rate still manageably under three runs per over, with only a single wicket falling. That scalp was of Scott, who danced down the track and picked out mid-on, for a personal best 77. Meanwhile, Hammond chalked up his third half-century in a third successive match in 150 mostly serene deliveries – the only worries in the session were the occasional play and misses.
This Ageas Bowl pitch has consistently assisted the new balls across the match, with nine wickets falling within the first 10 overs of it being taken. Hampshire were therefore looking forward to a second new ball soon after lunch, having been forced to persevere on a slow pitch. Thus, Ian Holland sending Graeme van Buuren’s middle stump for a tumble in the 77th over was an added bonus.
Three wickets did fall within 10 overs of James Vince unwrapping a shiny new ball, to swing the balance almost terminally towards Hampshire. Nine balls in and Hammond fell to Keith Barker, who missed a straight one and was out lbw.
Abbas took his match tally to nine wickets with the quickfire double of Tom Lace and Dom Goodman – the former clipped to midwicket while the latter tickled a delivery which moved in on the angle behind. Ryan Higgins scored 25 before his attempt at a cut screwed to Ben Brown’s gloves.
Last season, Gloucestershire had frustrated Hampshire with an epic block-a-thon on the final day to draw while nine down – with Goodman’s 48-ball nine saving the match. But there was to be no similar
hold-up. Mohammad Amir was superbly caught by Aneurin Donald running backwards from cover to dive and snaffle a skier, and Ajeet Singh Dale was strangled down the legside – both to Fuller – to end the highly entertaining contest with 25 overs to spare.
Gloucestershire head coach Dale Benkenstein said: “I think the same pattern has been happening most games. The most obvious thing to point to is first innings runs but at the same time we need to be realistic we are up against a really strong team.
“There was a lot of good bowling from them, it wasn’t just a case of bad batting, and injuries aren’t helping.
“Today the guys hung in and stuck in there but a match-winning performance would have been one of them getting 140 or so. They didn’t make it easy for us but an innings like makes you stand out. We were just a bit short on that and it has been tough.
“It was a brilliant knock but it is disappointing how George Scott got out. I like the way he was being positive but we needed to have wickets in hand before that second new ball as they are a really good new ball bowling team.
“I haven’t been able to get the same bowling attack out twice. April and May is about your bowlers. If you have a strong bowling attack you don’t have to chase as many runs. I feel our batters are getting better and have stepped up, but we still haven’t got a five-for. We need to find one or two quality bowlers, or if David Payne is fit then that will make a difference.”