The Ashes & Hampshire Cricket Summer Thread

Yeah, God, it took us nearly a whole four days to win a test match!

 

I just didn't want it going to a fifth day.

 

lol all of Lords is DONFI tomorrow.

 

Thought we'd lost it with five overs to go. Thought we'd won it with three overs to go.

Never should have failed to score 20 off 18 with seven wickets left, of course. But at least it's not the end of the world. Still three more matches left to secure a QF place, and hopefully a home QF at that (a win at home to Essex this Friday will secure the former). And of course we didn't hand two points to a team around us, just to Kent.

Wood and Vince will have better matches. Macca couldn't continue to haul us over the line all the time. Better to lose now, than in later.

 

What's annoying is how we gave our wickets away. Kent didn't exactly 'take' them. Carberry, Adams, Ervine, Dimi and Macca all caught on the boundary. Dawson and Tanvir run out. Vince caught by a fielder who started inside the circle, before turning and running after Vince's shot.

 

Indeed pretty terrible all in all, but like you say best to get it out of the way now and all that...

 

Pattinson is out for the rest of the series with a stress fracture in his back. Presumably Starc will come back in.

 

Yes , they have already said they won't be brining anyone in from outside , so Starc sounds right.

Sounds like a nsaty injury to have .

 

I just hope Graeme Swann's back is OK after Khawaja felled him!

 

Old Trafford has favoured spinners this season. If they don't want to drop Agar, then don't be surprised to see Lyon replace Pattinson. They do, after all, have Watson as third seamer.

 

Wouldn't be surprised to see Lyon in for Pattinson to be honest, Harris and Siddle have shown quality and that they can be accurate, threatening bowlers, the rest of their crop are prone to wild inaccuracy and general inconsistency. Harris, Siddle and Watson should be enough at Old Trafford and then they can try and choke England out with trial by spin.

*EDIT* Bugger you, Brendy! Suppose that's what I get for leaving the page open for 20 minutes and then not refreshing to check for new posts.

 

I know it's only county cricket, and division two county cricket at that, but Kerrigan has been taking wickets for fun in recent weeks for Lancashire, with his spin. I'd still put Monty ahead of him in terms of Swann's backup, but I'd be tempted to then put him third in line, ahead of Tredwell, Briggs, Borthwick, Rashid etc.

You need a half decent spinner at OT these days.

 

Dimi Mascarenhas is to retire at the end of this season.

Great shame for a great servant of Hampshire. Always amazed me how his gentle deliveries so often totally bamboozled batsmen, but that was his skill of variation and pin point delivery.

He did get shafted by England, should have played a lot more in ODI's & T20. Will always have this memory though...

[video=youtube;-KOqnoWwtts]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KOqnoWwtts[/video]

 

Dimitri Mascarenhas to Retire from County Cricket

Jul 23 2013

Hampshire all-rounder and Twenty20 captain Dimitri Mascarenhas has confirmed he will retire from all forms of cricket for Hampshire at the end of the present 2013 campaign.

It brings an end to an 18-year County career, all of which has been spent at Hampshire, during which time he picked up six domestic trophies. He was also selected for England in 20 One-Day Internationals and 14 International T20s as well as representing his Country in the Hong Kong Sixes. Dimi was also the first English player to feature in the lucrative Indian Premier League.

However, following struggles with a recurring Achilles injury first suffered in 2010, Dimi has elected to call time on his County cricket career.

Mascarenhas said; “It’s been the toughest decision of my life to call time on my career at Hampshire. I feel I have so much left, but my Achilles just isn’t up to it and, as a result, I have to retire.

“I have had an amazing time here for 18 seasons; there have been many highs and lows, but one thing that has stayed constant is the guys I have played with. All have been tremendous talents and, more importantly, top blokes.

“I would like to thank Rod, Giles and pretty much all the staff for making my journey with Hampshire such an enjoyable one. I wish the Club the best of luck in the future; I'm sure we have many more trophies on the way!”

Born in London but raised in Australia, Dimi returned to England to play in the Southern League before joining Hampshire in 1996 and taking 6-88 against Glamorgan at Southampton on debut. He won his Hampshire cap in 1998; indeed, he is the only current player who played for the county in the last century.

He scored the first century to be made at The Ageas Bowl, against Worcestershire in 2001, and took the first hat-trick recorded in Twenty20 cricket amongst his career-best 5 for 14 against Sussex at Hove in 2004. He also played a big part in his team’s victorious 2005 Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy campaign.

He was awarded a benefit year by Hampshire in 2007 and, furthermore, was recognised by his country with an England call-up for their One-Day squad to face India in the same year. During the Series, Mascarenhas hit five sixes in a single over from Yuvraj Singh at The Oval – a unique record for any England player.

He was appointed Hampshire captain in 2008. In that same year he was the first English player to be selected to play in the Indian T20 Premier League for the Rajasthan Royals.

In recent seasons, he’s been a key part of the most successful period in Hampshire’s history, helping the team win the 2009 Friends Provident Trophy and, as Twenty20 captain, leading the side to short-form titles in 2010 and 2012 as well as playing an integral part in the side’s victorious Clydesdale Bank 40 campaign last season.

In total, he has scored more than 12,000 runs in all formats and taken nearly 900 wickets.

Hampshire Chairman, Rod Bransgrove said: “Dimi has established himself as a true Hampshire icon and will be impossible to replace. His uncomplicated style and positive manner have made him a huge influence in and around the dressing room and his passion and commitment to the cause ensured that he would always be a crowd favourite.

“Whilst we will all miss him, on both a personal and professional level, we must thank him for his amazing contribution to this Club and wish him, his wife, Nadine and son Lenny every success and happiness in the future.”

Hampshire manager, Giles White said; “When Dimi shared his intentions with his team-mates the changing room was a particularly somber place. He has been an integral part of the Club since he arrived in 1996 and will be remembered as one of the county’s most charismatic and influential players. His engaging and infectious personality will leave as much of a void off the pitch as on it. We wish Dimi, Nadine and Lenny every success in the future.”

 

Great servant indeed. Will be sad to see him go.

 

Will be sad to see Dimi go. He's been a great servant to the club.

 

I hate that memory of him. Gave the country the complete wrong impression of him. He is not, and was not, an allrounder. He is not, and was not, someone who can bat in the top six. He is not, and was not, someone who you can rely on with the bat.

He is, and was, an opening bowler who could swing the bat. When he inevitably failed to reproduce that hitting, England dropped him and the media and many England fans turned on him. Failure with the bat apparently. And almost without fail, every time Hampshire our on Sky, the commentators can't work out why he's done at, for example, number 8 on the batting card or why Dawson comes in ahead of him with a handful of overs to go etc.

But any way, it's horrible news. I've never known a Hampshire without Dimi. I adore the guy. Brilliant guy, brilliant limited overs opening bowler, very happy to speak his mind, and a complete Hampshire legend. We won't be able to adequately replace him. Hopefully we'll win at least one more trophy for him, before he goes.

 

Dimi's quoted on cricinfo as saying that he'd have stayed on playing next year had the t20 competition once again been all in one block. Another reason for me to dislike the ECB where Hants are involved, even if in this situation it's hardly logical or fair dislike!

 

Apparently if you're a Australian spinner called Ashton, who came over here as part of Cricket Australia's link up with Hampshire, then you're in with a chance of playing in the Ashes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jul/24/australia-call-up-ashton-turner-sussex

Three spinners, plus Smith, in their XI really does suggest to me that they're clueless about who is the best spinner right now, and which one, or two, should play in the third test.