‘Amazing feeling’
Felix Organ celebrated his promotion to the top of the order with his second career LV= Insurance County Championship century as Hampshire enjoyed the better of day one against Gloucestershire.
Organ returned to open for the first time this year and made the most of his elevation with a simple, chanceless 107, while putting on 161 with skipper James Vince – who scored an uncomplicated
78.
Gloucestershire pegged the hosts back from 225-2 to 310-8 - with Mohammad Amir the pick of the bowlers with 3-51.
Jack of all trades Organ, below, had previously opened in nine first-class matches in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, where he managed a meagre average of 23.
Joe Weatherley and Ian Holland have been coach Adi Birrell and Vince’s preferred opening pair to leave Organ forging a role as a No.7 offspinner. His bowling utilises the footmarks of leftarm seamer Keith Barker and provides a preferred option to Mason Crane’s leg-spin.
Last season his batting topped out at 67, with an average of 21, but his last two matches this season have seen a quick unbeaten 44 to set up a declaration against Kent and a 42 which rescued Hampshire’s first innings versus Lancashire. Add in 69 for Dorset in a T20 earlier this week and his form can be described as ‘in’.
So, when Weatherley was ruled out of this game with a finger injury, there were no doubts Organ was ready to set the tone as an opener.
Organ’s century arrived with a dab to third man in 212 balls and was accompanied by a long primal scream and a double fist-pump from the middle and a standing ovation from both his dressing room and the stands.
Of reaching his century, Organ said: ‘It was a great moment and I had to wait because of tea (he was on 98* over the interval) so I was living the feeling before it came. When I went to the three figures it was an amazing feeling.
‘I’ve been up and down the order so to get there was pretty special. Last year I was batting at nine at times so to be opening in this game and getting a hundred meant a lot to me. I think I showed that!’