Hampshire v Essex
Vitality County Championship
Utilita Bowl, Southampton
Thursday 22 – Sunday 25 August | 11:00am start
Team News
Hampshire: Fletcha Middleton, Toby Albert, Nick Gubbins, James Vince*, Ben Brown+, Liam Dawson, Tom Prest, James Fuller, Kyle Abbott, John Turner, Mohammad Abbas
Essex: Dean Elgar, Robin Das, Tom Westley*, Jordan Cox, Matt Critchley, Paul Walter, Michael Pepper+, Simon Harmer, Shane Snater, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter
Match Details
Umpires: Martin Saggers & Ian Blackwell
Match Referee: Mike Smith
Scorers: Fiona Newnham & Paul Parkinson
Toss: Hampshire won the toss and chose to bowl first
Scorecard: View here
Day Four Highlights
Day Four Report
Toby Albert and Tom Prest’s centuries gave a glimpse of Hampshire’s batting future as their Vitality County Championship clash with Essex petered into a draw.
Both homegrown batters in their early 20s, they each scored exceptional hundreds filling in – with Albert playing in place of the injured Ali Orr, and Prest elevated up the order with James Vince unable to bat in his usual position.
The duo made sure Essex’s low chances of forcing 19 wickets, and a victory, became non-existent, with career-best scores of 124 and 156.
Matt Critchley claimed a late five for 96 as both teams took away 14 points – a haul that is unlikely to worry table-toppers Surrey in the fight for the title.
Hampshire began the day on 40 for one, and 398 runs in arrears, with the initial plan to avoid the follow-on, and then hunt for batting bonus points.
It turned out the quest was a simple one.
Albert, with Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins, had dead batted their way through the new ball the previous evening, on a pitch which offered zero help for the bowlers.
The morning saw 106 runs, with the loss of Gubbins for 30 after he tamely diverted to a catching midwicket following a 61-run stand with Albert.
Albert has largely made the most of his chances at the top of the batting order, having replaced Orr – the former Sussex batter suffering a back injury and then a broken arm to curtail his season.
The 22-year-old began with a maiden Championship century against Surrey in May, before impressing in the Vitality Blast – his batting styles vastly different between the formats.
Albert, the son of two Olympic equestrians, reached his century in 199 balls, having cranked through the gears as the day progressed.
He found a like-minded partner in Prest – who was initially due to bat at No.7 before Vince suffered a niggle in the field, and due to his time off the pitch, wasn’t allowed to bat any higher.
If Hampshire wanted a Vince doppelganger, they got it – both very watchable batters, who pace their innings seemingly for the enjoyment of the crowd.
Prest had fully announced himself, after a couple of promising T20 campaigns, with a century against Essex at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford towards the end of last season.
The 21-year-old missed the previous three Championship fixtures with a shoulder injury, but reached his third career ton in 141 deliveries – although only after he was dropped on 92 by Simon Harmer.
Albert fell when reverse sweeping Matt Critchley to deep point, which ended a 177-run partnership.
Ben Brown and Prest passed the follow-on target just before tea, before Prest began to eye up 450 – and full batting bonus points.
At one point he had taken 52 runs, with Brown, in four overs – in which time he had taken Harmer for 14 and 19, brought up the century stand and reached a maiden 150.
Prest fell for 156 when he advanced and holed out to long off and Brown was bowled by Shane Snater for a 59-ball 54.
Critchley then picked up Liam Dawson, Kyle Abbott and Vince in the space of four balls to claim a five-wicket haul.
On his departure, Vince decided to declare the innings, reckoning 450 runs was now above them, while preventing Essex from maximum bowling points.
Day Three Highlights
Day Three Report
Toby Albert and the rain frustrated Vitality County Championship title-chasing Essex against Hampshire at Utilita Bowl.
Only 34 overs were bowled after a rain-soaked morning and afternoon, but after Sam Cook and Shane Snater had taken their partnership to 49 and Essex to 438 for eight, Tom Westley declared.
Hampshire lost Fletcha Middleton, but Albert dropped anchor with 18 from 69 balls, with Nick Gubbins even more defensive in his eight off 58.
They ended the day on 40 for one, 398 runs in arrears, with the likelihood this will turn into a final day bonus point match, unless the hosts fail to avoid the follow-on.
But Storm Lilian deposited a significant amount of rain on Saturday morning, but the hard work of Simon Lee and his grounds staff made sure action got under way after tea.
The first part of the session was a battle for bonus points before a declaration. Hampshire needed one wicket for another point, Essex needed 46 runs.
Neither of which came to pass, but Shane Snater and Sam Cook had a good go at the runs part of the equation – putting on an unbroken 49.
Hampshire had one massive chance to claim maximum bowling points, but Cook was put down by Tom Prest at first slip with what became the penultimate delivery before Tom Westley called his side in.
The blue skies suggested batting might be relatively simple, but Cook and Jamie Porter initially put Hampshire’s young opening batters Fletcha Middleton and Toby Albert under the microscope.
There wasn’t significant movement but the odd late ball tailed in and super-disciplined bowling made scoring runs almost impossible early on.
It took 23 balls before Albert scored the first run of the innings, and when Snater entered the attack in the ninth over, only five runs had been scored.
The Dutchman may have offered up a half-volley for Albert to strike the first boundary of the innings, but he made the breakthrough.
He found movement into Middleton, and helped by some low bounce, caught the outside edge, before Michael Pepper brilliantly caught on the forward dive.
From then on, Albert and Gubbins battened down the hatches and simply refused to get out – which never looked like happening as the ball aged.
In the 28 overs Hampshire batted, there were 150 dot balls.
Day Two Highlights
Day Two Report
Jordan Cox reminded Brendon McCullum and the England set-up of his dizzying batting skills with his fourth Vitality County Championship century of the season.
Cox was released by England to play for Essex against Hampshire in the Vitality County Championship clash after not selecting him for the First Rothesay Test against Sri Lanka this week.
He responded with a scintillating 124-ball 141 to double down Essex’s advantage – having been stuck in – after Dean Elgar’s masterful 51st first class century. Both batters now have over 900 Championship runs this season.
After a washed-out day one and more rain on Saturday, this is likely to be a draw – but Essex collected three bonus points to reach the close on 404 for eight .
For everyone present at Utilita Bowl at 10:30 BST, bowling first wasn’t just a choice but the only option.
The pitch was a green colour which suggested that the ball would seam around, and had been under cover for over 24 hours after a washed out day one.
Hampshire captain James Vince could barely conceal his glee when his Essex counterpart Tom Westley picked the wrong side of the coin and he stuck the visitors in.
He gave a shocked look when Westley then told stadium announcer Robbie James he would have chosen to bat first.
It turned out it would have been the correct choice with blue skies above and a pitch which hadn’t sweated up under the covers due to strong winds.
When Kyle Abbott and Mo Abbas were jagging the new ball around, Vince would have felt vindicated, especially when Abbas nicked a ball back into Robin Das’ pads.
Das, opening for the first time in the County Championship having earned his position over Nick Browne and Feroze Khushi following a strong Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign, could hardly have done anything else.
Elgar and Westley simply occupied the crease for the rest of the morning session as the new ball pressure subsided.
Westley, who had soaked up 18 balls before scoring, was dropped at second slip on 27 but otherwise, the captain and opener looked unbreakable.
Elgar said after reaching his 50th red ball ton, against Durham in June, that all centuries “mean the world” to him. This showed little of that wonder, but did demonstrate a workmanlike efficiency; ticking off runs as if they were on a spreadsheet.
His fifty came in 122 balls, his century came in 170 as he began to open up for his third Championship century since replacing Alastair Cook as Essex opener.
Westley, having put on 144 with Elgar, fell for 64 when he leathered a caught and bowled back at Liam Dawson.
Cox was effervescent from almost the moment he arrived at the crease against an ageing ball. His sixes off James Fuller and Nick Gubbins were the headlines of his aggressive streak and suggested he was making up for lost time following his Appendix operation during the last round of matches.
Having been dropped on 92, he reached three figures in 92 balls, with a straight drive that summed up his endeavours
But at the other end, Hampshire’s grind was rewarded.
Abbott found former international team-mate Elgar chipping to mid off – which ended a 154 alliance with Cox – and removed Matt Critchley’s off stump bail.
Abbas picked up Paul Walter, loose to midwicket, and Michael Pepper, caught at first slip first ball. Simon Harmer was leg before to Dawson as the shadows grew longer.
Day One Report
Utilita Bowl saw mizzle, drizzle and outright rain, but no cricket as no play was possible on day one of Essex’s Vitality County Championship clash with Hampshire.
The covers remained untouched, other than by water, all day until the umpires abandoned play at 15:40 BST.
Both sides would have been left frustrated by the lack of action with eyes on chasing Surrey down at the top of the table.
There is forecast to be more rain overnight but there is more promise that there will be play on Friday.
Cricket & Craft Ale Festival at The Cloud County Ground
Greene King will be supplying as many as twelve craft ales for fans to sip on whilst enjoying County Championship action in a crucial late-summer clash.
Fans can purchase tickets to Essex’s County Championship match against Worcestershire from £16 for Adults and there will be no additional cost to enter the Cricket & Craft Ale Festival, with drinks to be purchased individually once inside.
Secure your seats to Essex v Worcestershire and sample Greene King’s craft ales:
