First off, I must point out this is predominantly a Hampshire-based article, as I am a Hampshire fan and have witnessed far more of their matches than any other county. I will try to make it as accurate as possible. Enjoy!
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April seems like a long time ago now and much has changed within the cricketing world since then. A flurry of signings were made by several counties before the season with overseas players such as Shiv Chanderpaul and Adam Gilchrist all set to impress. Pre-season, the main headlines were made by Hampshire who recruited former England paceman Simon Jones to the ranks alongside his fellow ex-Worcestershire colleague, Kabir Ali. Rose Bowl members were salivating at a potential lineup of Jones, Ali, Mascarenhas, Razzaq and Pothas. Elsewhere on the county scene, Middlesex tried the "Galacticos" route and attempted to bring Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Adam Gilchrist to the Home of Cricket, with only the latter being successful.
Hampshire started terribly, failing to win a match in ten attempts. The new look side, including Kolpak star Neil MacKenzie, was failing and looked devoid of confidence. Persistent rumours of overseas signings pulling out gained momentum, with confirmation coming in May that neither of the star names mentioned, Mendis or Afridi, would be playing any part for Hampshire. Injuries also hampered a somewhat depleted squad further, with seamer Ali ruled out till 2011 with hamstring and knee injuries, the World T20 winner Michael Lumb suffering from niggling injuries and club talisman Dimi Mascarenhas all but ruled out for the year after injuring an ankle out in the IPL. Through lack of choice (or so it seemed at the time) Hampshire turned to their own academy and promoted the Michael Vaughan-esque batsman, James Vince,19, into the side along with fellow youth product, the tricky spinner, Danny Briggs.
A more settled side, even if youthful, managed some fine results towards the back end of May and the beginning of June, turning over the likes of Warwickshire in the CB40 and earning credible results against eventual victors Nottinghamshire, as well as Yorkshire and Essex in the LV=2010 County Championship. Key members of the squad began producing what had been expected of them, with MacKenzie producing a great knock of 115* to defeat Notts.
As summer rolled on, so did the FPT20 competition, arguably the highlight of the cricketing year. Taken very much in a serious manner by all teams now, star names were brought from across the globe for the competition. Superstars such as Albie Morkel, Andrew Symonds, Abdul Razzaq and Kieron Pollard entered the fray and treated the crowd to spectacular performances and devastating bowling spells. Hampshire's own campaign was as good as it was bad, winning eight games and losing eight games, sneaking through on net run-rate by defeating near neighbours Sussex on the final day. An equally tense quarter-final saw the Royals defeat Warwickshire with just two balls remaining, a fantastic unbeaten half-century by Vince, who showed maturity way beyond his years in such a tense scenario.
Jimmy Adams had come into his own as a batsman. Two hundreds in the T20 was unheard of before 2010 as was scoring 600 runs in the competition. It certainly isn't without good reason why he is being mooted for a one-day slot at the top of the England order. Whilst Adams prominence had been spectacular, other players performances had gone under the radar somewhat. The Isle of Wight-born spinner Danny Briggs had accumulated the second highest number of wickets in the T20, with a very healthy economy to match. His tight, controlled bowling made him remarkably difficult to play with many established names falling victim to his clever, subtle spin. Furthermore, the experienced duo of Cork and MacKenzie had balanced the side and given an experienced edge to matters. Cork's wily seam bowling along with his handy knack with the bat certainly gave a much needed boost to the Royals after he had missed most of April and May due to commentating duties.
And so to Finals Day! I had been previously as a neutral in 2008 and had longed for my team to get the glamour of the day out. This time it had happened. On home turf. Never before had a team won T20 Finals Day on their own soil, Hampshire could make history on 14th August 2010. Before I begin, this part of the article will be from personal experience, as it was a very special day for me. I set off from home at 7.00 am and took the train down to Pompey. We got to the Rose Bowl at about 9.00 am to be greeted by grey skies and the threat of heavy rain. A disappointing day loomed, or so I thought. 11.00 came round and Hampshire, supported by a boisterous crowd, took to the field to play Essex in the first semi final. Essex, with England opener Cook in the side, made a strong start with plenty of boundaries off the bowling of youngster Chris Wood. However, once ex-captain Mark Pettini fell at 106-4, Essex soon lost momentum and produced a below-par score of 156-7, leaving Hampshire with more than half a chance to reach the final. The host's decision to promote overseas signing Abdul Razzaq up the order certainly paid off. A master blaster on the international scene, he certainly lived up to his reputation, with a rapid 44 off 31 balls, including six four's and a six. This pivotal innings laid the foundations for a Hampshire win, which was completed with four balls to spare amongst a particularly heavy rain shower.
The second, and quite frankly, less important semi-final was certainly more enjoyable knowing Hampshire were in the final. However, it also treated the spectators to a plethora of star names, including Marcus Trescothick, Keiron Pollard, Graeme Swann, Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad. This richly entertaining semi-final unfortunately was cut short due to the elements and ended with Somerset clinching the other final place after winning on the Duckworth-Lewis method by just two runs. And on to the greatest cricket match I will ever witness. The 2010 FPT20 Final. On paper, Somerset were the clear favourite, with superstars up and down the order. However, every underdog has it's day.
The devastating duo of Trescothick and Keiswetter put on 41 before the former drove a simple catch to Dan Christian. However, the latter was only just getting started. The South-African born wicketkeeper made 71 of just 59 balls, including two towering sixes. Nonetheless, the guile of Captain Cork shone through in the latter stages, with wickets tumbling readily. However, a big obstacle was in the way of Hampshire and glory. Kieron Pollard. Arguably the most explosive batsman in world cricket, Pollard had smashed 22 off only 7 balls when a sickening bouncer went through the helmet's grill and felled the West Indian. Both crowd and players were shaken up by the horrifying incident, which left Pollard in hospital for the night, making the Sabres night no easier. Finishing on 173 made for a very stiff task for the home side.
Hampshire's response started strong enough, with no wicket falling before the 60-run mark. Razzaq was as explosive as he had been in the semi-final, blasting 33 off 19 balls, whilst man-of-the-moment Adams played a anchorman role whilst making a more measured 34. However, three quick wickets for the Sabres left the home side in a dodgy position at 84-3. Somerset looked to close in on the silverware, but the Kolpak duo of MacKenzie and Ervine had other ideas. Ervine, so used to pulling Hampshire out of trouble, most notably in the C&G Trophy Final in 2005 where he scored an marvellous century, played the role he does best. He supported his colleague and attacked when necessary. A 79-run partnership was the very foundation for the innings and looked to have won the game for the Royals, however, the veteran seamer, Ben Phillips had other ideas and forced MacKenzie into skying a pull-shot straight to the Somerset captain, Trescothick. Coupled with one-time England opener, Michael Carberry's dismissal two balls later and the game was far from secure with six runs needed from the final over. Although a run-a-ball may not seem too bad in the modern game, Hampshire made tough work of it to say the least. With six needed off four balls, Somerset felt the glory going their way, but when just two were required off the last ball, it was in the balance. The spectators (me included) believed Ervine and Dan Christian had to get two off the final delivery to complete the victory, however, due to less wickets lost, Hampshire only needed one run to win the game and the tournament. The action and drama was not finished there though. Aussie Christian had pulled a hamstring the previous delivery and required a runner, Adams, for this most epic of showdowns. What happened next was simply carnage. Somerset went up for a LBW appeal, only to be thwarted, whilst Ervine, Adams and Christian all ran. If Somerset had been astute, they would have realised Christian was out of his crease by a good 20 yards and run him out, winning the competition for themselves. As the one run was complete, there was a degree of silence and confusion around the pitch-black Rose Bowl. Captain Cork, along with the rest of the Royals were primed for celebration, but could not be sure of the result until confirmation came from the umpires and the PA announcement. Those words, "Hampshire win" will live long in the memory and I admit a tear did run down my face when I heard we had won the most dramatic T20 match of all time.
It was very much a case of "after the Lord Mayor's show" in the latter half or August and the beginning of September. Following the glory of 14th August, Hampshire were decidedly average in the CB40, overcoming Scotland and Kent, yet losing to bottom of the table side Leicestershire. Similarly, the relegation battle in the LV= 2010 County Championship was going to the wire. Having lost on the penultimate ball to Lancashire, after a fantastic resilient ten and a half hour effort by Jimmy Adams, Hampshire knew that if they could beat Kent at Canterbury, they would be safe. A superb team effort in the second innings made all the difference. With four players scoring half-centuries, Hampshire raced into the drivers seat, knowing it would be nigh on impossible for Kent to chase 377. Youngster Briggs and Captain Cork took four wickets each, yet came under stubborn resistance from England youth prospect Sam Northeast. His 71 of 186 balls was well measured and comes at the end of a good breakthrough season for the twenty-year old. Hampshire's dramatic fairytale continued in the match with Tomlinson's seam, with line and length his main skill, proving crucial. His tight control eventually forced an edge off the last man straight into the hands of that man again, Jimmy Adams in the penultimate over. Hampshire had done it. They had finished mid-table in the CB40, respectable after losing their first four games in the competition. The Royals had staved off the threat of relegation after fighting back mid-season despite relying far too heavily on the runs of Adams and Carberry. And finally, Hampshire had created history, winning the T20 final on home soil in the most dramatic of fashions. Nonetheless, Hampshire will have to consolidate next year. A youthful side, and a very potent one when all the team are fit, there remain some questions. The farcical overseas player situation of 2010 cannot be repeated. Also, question marks remain over Liam Dawson, Chris Benham and Hamza Riazuddin. None have progressed as planned, despite Dawson's late season form. Originally a spin bowler, his role in the team is now undefined. Does he bat, or does he bowl? Benham has hardly featured and must be odds-on to leave the club this winter. His fleeting one day displays have not been repeated and he has not forced himself into the side. Riazuddin has talent but with a plethora of bowling options, in particular with the youngsters, such as Chris Wood, it must be asked whether he can get into the team himself. Nonetheless, these questions should not cast a shadow on the fantastic achievements of Hampshire this season, and what a season it has been.
