Match Preview: Hampshire (A)

Derbyshire’s penultimate away fixture in the group stage of the Metro Bank competition is against Hampshire at Southampton, their first trip to the newly-named Utilita Bowl since June 2013.

Heritage Officer David Griffin previews the game.

Hampshire moved from their Northlands Road home at the end of 2000, to their new headquarters ground, which has been variously known as The Rose Bowl, The Ageas Bowl and now The Utilita Bowl.

To date, there have been 52 scheduled one day games between these two counties of which Derbyshire have won 17, Hampshire 28, with one tied game and six abandonments.

The tie was in 1987 at Southampton in the Refuge Assurance League when Derbyshire’s 206 all out was matched by Hampshire’s 206 for six. Hampshire had needed 82 off the final 10 overs and five were still required off the last ball which Kevan James struck well, but the ball dropped a mere three yards short of being a match-winning six.

Two of the highest profile games between the two sides came in 1975 and 1988 in two quite different surroundings, although both games were televised to a national audience by the BBC.

The first game in September 1975 took place at Darley Dale. This was a time when The County Ground at Derby was not being used by Derbyshire following a tenancy dispute with the local authority. Still, it came as a surprise when the game – earmarked to be played at Darley Dale before the season began – was not moved to Chesterfield in light of the importance of the match.

Hampshire won the John Player League title in front of 6,000 spectators – more than the population of Darley Dale – and with broadcasting gantries and camera positions taking up significant room, it was a tight fit. The location also added to the logistical difficulties of broadcasting; the ground, set in a valley, meant the BBC had to bounce their signals first on to Stanton Hill and the across the valley to Darley Hill and thence on to Holme Moss.

Hampshire batted first and scored 222 for eight with their much vaunted openers, Barry Richards and Gordon Greenidge both making half centuries, before Derbyshire subsided meekly to 152 all out with Brian Bolus (61) the only player to score more than 19.

The other game was at Lord’s in 1988 when the sides met in the Benson and Hedges Cup Final.

Derbyshire were undoubtedly hamstrung by having to remain in Chester until their NatWest Trophy game against Cheshire at Boughton Hall was completed. Three days were set aside for these matches and although the first day – Wednesday – saw the game advance significantly – there was no play on the Thursday and play only began at 4.30pm on the Friday.

Derbyshire won, but they and those supporters who had remained for the duration, had to travel back to Derby and then onwards to London. The team arrived after midnight, in contrast to their opponents who had been able to net at Lord’s on the Friday afternoon.

Captain Kim Barnett laid no blame for Derbyshire’s subsequent defeat on the lengthy trip, but did maintain that had he won the toss, his side might have put up a more impressive effort.

Batting first, making 117 all out was a disaster, aggravated by their tormentor-in-chief, Steve Jefferies. The South African had played a single first class game for Derbyshire against Pakistan at Chesterfield in 1982 but destroyed Derbyshire’s batting line-up with five wickets for only 13 runs in 10 overs, including Barnett, Peter Bowler, Bruce Roberts and Steve Goldsmith.

Derbyshire’s pace attack might have had a more significant impact on the game had Barnett won the toss, but despite the best efforts of Michael Holding, Devon Malcolm, Ole Mortensen, Allan Warner and Paul Newman, Hampshire won comfortable by seven wickets. The match was over before tea, the shortest domestic one day final.

Derbyshire’s first one day game was against Hampshire in the Gillette Cup in 1963, a match they won by six runs after scoring 250 for nine in 65 overs, a splendid rate of run-scoring for the era, with Ian Hall (61) and Derek Morgan (59*) the principal run scorers, and then Les Jackson, in his final season with Derbyshire, bowled 15 overs and took one for 24 with six maidens.

Derbyshire’s highest score in games against Hampshire dwarfs the best of their opponents; Hampshire made 277 for eight on Derbyshire’s last visit to Hampshire, wile Derbyshire’s best came at Derby in 2014 when Wayne Madsen and Wes Durston both made superb hundreds to secure a huge 136 runs win for the home side.

In addition to those two centuries, two of Derbyshire’s finest overseas players scored the only other two; Peter Kirsten scored 110 not out at Southampton in 1982, and Dean Jones made an undefeated 101 on the same ground 14 years later.

Kirsten, rather surprisingly, recorded the best one day bowling figures against Hampshire, taking four for 13 at Bournemouth in 1978, although Mike Hendrick is the only bowler to take four wickets on two occasions, at Southampton, in May and August 1976.

Two Hampshire players have reached three figures against Derbyshire: Trevor Jesty made 118 at Derby in 1980, and John Crawley 100 at The Rose Bowl in 2006.

Aside from Jefferies’ Hampshire-best haul at Lord’s there have been three other instances of their bowlers taking five in a match: Paul Jan Bakker did it twice – at Portsmouth in 1988 and Derby in 1989 – and Tom Mottram also took five, at Darley Dale in 1975.

Derbyshire have never won a one day game at the new Southampton ground, their last win – by four runs – came at Northlands Road in September 2000 when Luke Sutton top-scored with 53 not out before Matt Cassar took four for 29.

Friday cricket at The County Ground!

Derbyshire face Kent in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup this Friday! Tickets start at £15 for adults and just £3 for juniors.

Tickets on sale now – buy in advance to save!