Hampshire Anger Defused |
Push into gaps and run against a very tired side rushing their overs would have accomplished the required result. However the end product of 389-7 and what had been achieved quickly defused the anger.
A barbecue at the Crown was followed by some of the worst jokes ever heard and hopefully Seaward will never repeat his although disappointingly Tidball was repeating it to a young Hyde the next day. A record breaking batsman was keeping the telephone exchange busy until the early hours with some not appreciating that if you took the phone off the hook it would not ring and there we were worrying about the principles of finishing an innings when some did not understand Graham Alexander Bell’s basis principles.
The forecast for the second day was showers from the West; it was raining in Devon but improving. To the annoyance of an umpire and to again gain the benefit of seven minutes of the heavy roller Devon batted one more over. Tom Whitlle who is aware of every run he scores then runs one short off the last ball of the one hundred and twenty second over – it must be a Torquay Grammar School problem as Wilkinson had made similar error at Sandford in 2005. With grey clouds around the first interruption from rain in this sun drenched summer was possible with the home sides target to score 393 in potentially a minimun101 overs (3.89 an over). Their intent was clear with Dawson who had been on standby for an injured player to play for Hampshire II’s looked what he is an England prospect and with the tall Ransley they treated the opening attack of Joe Hyde and Eliot Acton with scant respect at they started at over 5 an over and were 43-0 off 10 when light rain became much heavier and the umpires called the teams off. Seward and Donohue had entered the attack and had pegged it back to just over fours. The first interruption was only five minutes but at 78-0 after 21 overs rain resulted in an early lunch and eventually a deduction of two overs. The adjournment was brightened with the news that Chris Read had regained his place in the national side. It was not obvious where a wicket was coming from but the spinners Buzza, Benton and Chappell had the run rate under control when at 171 and out of the blue Dawson on 84 gave Chappell the charge and Hardy did the rest. Chappell’s importance to this side had been demonstrated the previous day but this is his third summer at 17s as the leading spinner. He was sorely missed in the first two games and it is likely if he had been present at Warminster as opposed to Barbados the result would have been different.
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