Email Us Forum Mail Article Print Article

NCL2: Hampshire Cruise

Monday, August 11 2003

Simon Katich and John Crawley were the stars for Hampshire at the County Ground in Taunton as Somerset stuttered to another crushing defeat in the Second Division of the National Cricket League.

Batting first, Katich made the early running before Nixon McLean, arguably the Westcountry side's best player this season, had Jamie Hamblin caught by Ian Blackwell for 20. This was, sadly, as good as it got for the Sabres...

Derek Kenway was next to fall (35) but by now the score was 124, and by the time the next wicket fell, Australian Katich had made three figures, 106 coming off 88 balls including 10 fours and three sixes, and 89 further had been added. This was by no means the end of the onslaught as 96 was added for the fourth wicket with John Crawley's uncharacteristically boundary-filled 64-ball 92, which saw eleven boundaries including two maximums.

John Francis chipped in with a 35-ball half century as things got worse for the hosts, with the final score of 335/6 coming at an incredible 7.44 an over. Nixon McLean with 3/51 and Steffen Jones with 2/52 were the sole bowlers to come out with any credit.

Hampshire's bowling lineup, on the other hand, wasted no time as Sri Lankan star Chaminda Vaas had Jamie Cox caught behind by Kenway for a four-ball duck. Carl Gazzard only did one run better and the story got no better. Six batsmen made 20, but none passed fifty with Keith Parsons (46), Ian Blackwell (43 off 24 balls) and Keith Dutch (36) the major contributors.

Shaun Udal (3/36) mopped up the tail to finish off Somerset for 219 with 53 balls to spare, and Vaas and Chris Tremlett both picked up two wickets each in a comfortable 116-run win.

Meanwhile, at Derby, Matt Prior made his first significant NCL runs of the season with 60* in Sussex's 160/6, with Tony Cottey adding 36 as Dominic Cork and Graeme Welch took two wickets each in a match reduced to 32 overs by rain.

The hosts' reply was anchored once again by Mohammad Kaif, making 55* with Dominic Hewson hitting three fours and a six in his 29-ball 39 as the Scorpions made it home by six wickets with 7 balls to spare.

In the other Division Two match, Durham rattled hosts Middlesex at Lord's, reducing them to 38/5 and 66/6 before Ed Joyce (77) and Simon Cook (67*) helped them to a respectable 210/8, Neil Killeen taking 5/33 and Alex Thorpe being hit for 60 off 7 wicketless overs.

Tim Bloomfield's 4/36 proved matchwinning in reply as Durham fell just short on 203/6, Nicky Peng (41), Gordon Muchall (44) and Gary Pratt (63*) making the runs for the Dynamos.

CricketWeb Player of the Round: John Crawley - 92 off 64 balls

Posted by Neil