Neil McKenzie provided the anchor around which Hampshire batted on an interesting first day's play at The Rose Bowl. McKenzie made a fine 83 before falling just before the close, on a day where several players got in but none were able to go on to the big score needed.
Hampshire, after winning the toss and electing to bat, began the day tentatively and paid the price early on. Opener Jimmy Adams departed for just 3, nicking one behind to James Foster off Maurice Chambers.
This brought Michael Lumb to the crease aiming to avoid his fourth consecutive duck in all formats, which he did with an early single. Despite recent stories circulating in the press regarding his availability for selection, Essex included Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria in their side and he produced a well executed maiden in his first over as Lumb and Michael Carberry tried to build a solid foundation after the early loss.
And build they did, taking advantage of perfect batting conditions under bright sunshine. They inched their way to a fifty partnership against a good Essex bowling unit that looked threatening early on. The pair expertly drew the sting from the away side’s attack, though, and headed into lunch with Carberry on 40, Lumb on 30 and Hampshire in a solid position on 82 for 1.
Essex struck immediately after the break, however, when Lumb, who had battled hard for his runs, was bowled by Kaneria. Undeterred, Carberry moved on to his fifty with a punch through the covers and a beautifully timed pull shot off David Masters, both shots travelling to the boundary. Despite looking in such good touch, he was out soon after, smashing a cover drive straight to Jaik Mickleburgh at extra cover, leaving Hampshire in a slightly precarious position.
New batsman James Vince made an instant impression with a regal drive through the covers and, before long, he and partner Neil McKenzie were regularly finding the boundary edge. Vince was particularly strong in the cover area and the pair put on an important fifty stand at a run rate of just over four and a half. But just as Vince was looking like he might go on to a big one, he failed to get on top of a short one from Chambers and was caught and bowled for an impressive 44.
Sean Ervine, promoted up the order, got going with a big heave for six over square leg. But, having played himself in for a few overs, he then got an edge to a spinning Kaneria delivery and was caught at slip by Essex skipper Mark Pettini for just 15. And captain Nic Pothas didn’t last for very long either, trapped lbw for just a single in Ravi Bopara’s first over of the day. Hampshire went into tea on 190-6, with McKenzie defiantly unbeaten on 38.
The final session of the evening saw Hampshire desperately needing to stick in and the tail needed to play around the established McKenzie.
Dominic Cork helped the South African take the score past 200 and the veteran even managed to loft Kaneria over long on for a mightily impressive boundary before cutting Bopara behind square on the off side.
McKenzie reached his fifty with a neatly steered single before a towering six from Cork off Ryan ten Doeschate brought up the fifty partnership as Hampshire fought back after those pre-tea break wickets. The new ball was taken by the away side but it was more of the same treatment as Cork moved into the 40’s with another boundary.
A flurry of boundaries, including a fiercely struck cover drive off a ten Doeschate full toss, advanced McKenzie’s score also, as Essex strived to break what had turned into an excellent partnership.
It may have taken a hint of fortune but Cork brought up an excellent fifty with a slice over the covers for four. Soon after the pair were exchanging handshakes in the middle after the hundred partnership was reached. But it wasn’t smiles for long - McKenzie’s long innings was brought to an end as he was bowled around his legs by the returning Bopara for 83.
Cork remained unbeaten on 54 alongside David Balcombe as Hampshire ended the day on 298-7.
(rosebowlplc.com, 2010)
No comments:
Post a Comment