Pat Symes
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Vodafone Challenge: Hampshire v Australians at Southampton, 28-30 Jul 2001 Pat Symes |
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Australians 2nd innings:
Hampshire 2nd innings: Australians 1st innings: Hampshire 1st innings: |
It was Hampshire's first win over the Australians since 1912. Australian captain Steve Waugh declared his second innings at 389 for nine, leaving Hampshire to score 133 in 26 overs.
There were nine balls remaining when rookie wicket-keeper Iain Brunnschweiler turned spinner Colin Miller to the leg side for the winning boundary amid scenes of great excitement for a crowd approaching 3,000. The victory was by just two wickets.
Yet Hampshire were by no means at full strength. Alan Mullally (ribs) and Dimitri Mascarenhas (hamstring) were unable to bowl in the Australian second innings while Robin Smith was also off the pitch with a rib injury.
The Australians, resuming at 176 for one, lost Matthew Hayden for 142 after a five-hour innings and Simon Katich in the morning session. At the fall of the eighth wicket, the tourists were only 88 in front.
But with time and overs running out, Jason Gillespie and Ashley Noffke held up Hampshire with a precious ninth-wicket stand.
At the fall of Noffke's wicket, Waugh decided to make a game of it. Hampshire lost wickets steadily in pursuit of their target and when the eighth wicket fell, four of them to Shane Warne, an Australian win looked more likely.
But Brunnschweiler and debutant James Schofield kept cool in searing heat to get the final five runs needed.
Hampshire captain Robin Smith said: "Steve's declaration made a game of it. We went for the runs from the start and it was a great finish."
Forer Hampshire player Warne, who finished with four for 31, said: "Hampshire bowled very well considering the players they had missing. It was a tight finish but they kept their nerve. They were on top for two days so I suppose there was some justice in them winning."
Hampshire's major problem is that only 30 overs remained when they came out from tea and it did not help either that frontline bowlers Alan Mullally (ribs) and Dimitri Mascarenhas (hamstring) had taken no part in the last day's play.
Hampshire's captain Robin Smith was also unable to play, thanks to the buffeting his ribs took facing Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee on the second day.
Hampshire's depleted attack did remarkably well when the Australians resumed at 176 for one. In the morning session they dismissed Matthew Hayden after a five-hour 142 and Simon Katich.
After the break Steve Waugh provided Giles White with only his tenth Hampshire wicket in eight years with a return catch and Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Wade Seccombe and Damien Fleming all followed with Shaun Udal taking four wickets.
At 345 for eight, Australia were only 88 ahead but before tea a dogged ninth-wicket stand between Gillespie and Ashley Noffke stood between Hampshire and a shock victory.
The Australians were 176 for one overnight, 81 behind after their disastrous first innings, but they soon wiped out the defecit. At lunch they were 279 for three, a lead of 22.
Simon Katich, who reached his half-century off the first ball of the day, made 59 before he was held in the covers by one of the substitutes, John Francis.
Former Hampshire batsman Matthew Hayden completed his first century of the tour and went on to make 142 before an attempted sweep gave Neil Johnson an easy slip catch. Shaun Udal took both the wickets to fall. Hayden batted for five hours and hit two sixes and 21 fours.
Steve Waugh gave a hard chance in the slips when eight, again off Udal, and was 37 not out at the interval. The match appeared to be heading for a draw.
Smith, 79 not out overnight, was lbw to reserve paceman Ashley Noffke for 113, his third ton of the season, as Hampshire were bowled out for 354 - a first innings lead of 257.
Noffke struck Smith with a bouncer moments before trapping him lbw and a day after bowling the Hampshire captain with a no-ball. Noffke finished with three Hampshire wickets.
Then the Australian top order reminded their hosts why they are the best side in the world. Former Hampshire batsman Matthew Hayden crashed Mullally for successive boundaries through mid-wicket in bringing up his fifty. And he struck Shaun Udal for two sixes before finishing on 92 not out.
Justin Langer was the only Australian wicket to fall in the second day. First slip Derek Kenway caught the opener at the second attempt after Langer had snicked Neil Johnson.
But Katich, who finished on 49 not out, helped Hayden put on an unbeaten 104 for the second wicket as the tourists narrowed Hampshire's lead to 81.
Robin Smith said: "It was great to get another hundred against Australia at this stage in my career and some of the bowling from Brett Lee and Jason Gillsepie was as good as anything I've every faced.
"I can see why the England batsmen have stgruggled when you consider that Glenn McGrath was rested. But I think the selectors have been silly in leaving Alan Mullally out of the squad."
Steve Waugh's men eventually bowled the county out for 354, with Ashley Noffke, Jason Gillsepie and Colin Miller sharing the second day's wickets.
But Langer and former Hampshire bat Hayden ensured that lightning didn't stike twice as the tourists responded to Hampshire's useful total.
Both were unbeaten on 28 at tea after helping Australia to 59-0 at a rate of four an over.
Robin Smith had earlier rolled back the years by taking a ton off the Australian quicks.
Smith, 79 not out overnight, reached his fourth hundred against the Australians in 221 balls but was lbw to Noffke for 113 two overs after being felled by the paceman.
Smith, 79 not out overnight, led Hampshire to a 231-run lead over the tourists with his 277-ball innings before being trapped lbw.
Zimbabwe international Neil Johnson put on 182 for the fourth wicket with Smith before he played on to Jason Gillespie for 88. Gillespie had Lawrence Prittipaul caught behind for ten with the score on 321.
But it was Noffke who got the vital wicket of Smith, having felled the county skipper with a bouncer two olvers earlier. Smith's hundred was his 47th for Hampshire and his fourth against the Australians and came in 221 balls.
Dmitri Mascarenhas was unbeaten on four at lunch, having driven Brett Lee to the boundary off his first ball. Hampshire were 328-6 at the interval.
Australian captain Steve Waugh named six specialist bowlers in his latest Vodaphone Challenge side but he had to ask former Durham batsman Simon Katich to bowl four overs of left-arm spin in a bid to break the partnership.
Smith, who reached his 50 with a single off a Brett Lee slower ball, was unbeaten on 79 at the close of the first day.
But he had his off stump knocked back by reserve seamer Ashley Noffke when on 69 - only for umpire John Steele to signal no-ball.
Johnson extended the county's lead to 100 by on-driving the green-haired Colin Miller for four. The Zimbabwean reached his fifty by cutting Shane Warne for four moments after edging Jason Gillespie through the slips.
But he was still there on 64 at the end with Hampshire in charge on 238-3.
Lee removed Giles White and Will Kendall for ducks in his fourth over to leave Hampshire on 14-2 in response to Australia's 97 all out.
But Smith rolled back the years with Kenway, adding 102 for the third wicket with the 23-year-old.
Kenway was caught at silly point by Steve Waugh for 70 off the bowling of former Hampshire teammate Shane Warne in the last over before tea.
Neil Johnson crashed his first ball from Warne through the covers for four to leave the home side on 116-2 at tea.
Smith, dropped by Justin Langer off the bowling of Jason Gillespie on 20, was unbeaten on 38.
Rookie seamer James Schofield set Hampshire on their way when he removed Matthew Hayden with his first ball in first-class cricket.
Schofield added the wicket of Justin Langer in his third over before capturing the prize scalp of Australian captain Steve Waugh for ten. Schofield finished with 3-25 from his six overs.
Mullally will have hopes of a Test place after dismissing Simon Katich, wicket-keeper Wade Seccombe, Jason Gillespie, Ashley Noffke as well as former Hampshire teammate Shane Warne to finish with 5-18 off 11.4 overs.
Warne had recommended Mullally for an England recall in the build-up to this match. And the leg spinner did Mullally's chances no harm when he edged an attempted square cut to reserve wicket-keeper Iain Brunnschweiler.
Dmitri Mascarenhas and Shuan Udal picked up the wickets of Brett Lee for 22 and Damien Fleming for six.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 30 Jul2001 - 22:27