Birrell: Happy with the draw after Utilita Bowl ‘pickle’
Hampshire were happy to take a rain-affected draw with Lancashire at the Utilita Bowl after getting themselves in a “pickle”.
That was the verdict of head coach Adi Birrell as the players shook hands at 4.50pm yesterday following another shower.
The hosts were 179-4, with Nick Gubbins 69 not out, in their second innings after Lancashire had led by 117 on first innings in the County Championship Division 1 fixture.
“We will take the draw from the pickle we got ourselves in,” declared Birrell. “We got some good starts but no one really went big and they had (Keaton) Jennings who got 170 – that was the difference.
“We got into a bit of pressure with Nathan Lyon, who is an international bowler of class. We had to face him down today, not on a spinning wicket but just enduring his pressure. We did it really well.
“It was a bit nervy but Gubbins did really well. There were no dramas there.
“It was good for us because we got something out the game, the bowlers got good overs under their belts and most our batters got good starts. I feel confident going into the next game.
“We have spoken after the game about getting ruthless when you do get in and make it count. Hopefully we will put that right going forward.”
Lancashire skipper Jennings said: “The boys threw everything at them over the last four days so I am really proud.
“There is a lot of happiness. There are guys who have put in some performances that have been really positive. You have a young lad [George Bell] who has pretty much got his first first-class hundred before heartbreak (run out for
99) and another young lad called Nathan Lyon bowled beautifully.
“I would have quite happily have had Gubbins take that catch when I was on 35 and Bell gets his hundred. You want the younger lads to feel that elation.
“The bowlers kept going on a batter friendly surface and kept trying to problem solve and kept throwing things out there.”
Hampshire’s third Championship game of the season starts this Friday at home to Warwickshire.
We got some good starts but no one really went big