Hampshire Announce Four-Day Squad For Durham's Visit

MATCH PREVIEW

Hampshire v Durham

Specsavers County Championship Division 1

 Tues 20 – Fri 23 September (10:30 – 17:30)

The Ageas Bowl

Hampshire will look to extend a five-match unbeaten run in the Specsavers County Championship and retain Division One status by defeating Durham at the The Ageas Bowl in their final match of 2016 (10.30am start).

Hampshire Squad:

James Vince captains an unchanged squad from the one that secured a convincing draw against Surrey at the Kia Oval, and Will Smith is available to face his former side, having spent eight seasons at Durham.   

Sean Ervine reached 1,000 first-class runs for the season by hitting 158 not out at Kennington and has averaged an imperious 114 with the bat since recovering from a calf strain.

Ryan McLaren, who elevated his batting average to 63 at Surrey with his first Hampshire hundred, made a successful debut against Durham in September 2015, taking seven wickets at the The Ageas Bowl.

Having scored a fifty in each month of the Championship calendar, Tom Alsop enhanced his impressive batting record this season for Hampshire by scoring his maiden first-class century at the Kia Oval.

The Opposition:

Durham batsman Keaton Jennings is the highest run-scorer in Division One with 1522, and scored an impressive 201 not out against Surrey.

Graham Onions surpassed 50 Championship wickets for the season at Kennington and, with 160 first-class matches under his belt, leads a formidable Durham bowling attack. England’s Ben Stokes claimed 4-54 in the second innings to seal the win.

Recent Form:

Hampshire, currently in eighth position and eight points adrift of Warwickshire, are unbeaten in five matches, including a win against relegated Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Hants were unfortunate not to clinch victory at the Kia Oval on their last outing, dominating with the bat and declaring on 582-9, as Alsop, Ervine and McLaren all registered tons.

Durham secured Division One safety with a 21-wicket victory over Surrey, as Ben Stokes’ four wicket haul decided a close encounter at Emirates Riverside.

Their triumph against Surrey was their only win in six matches, losing to Division One’s front runners – Middlesex, Yorkshire and Somerset - and drawing the other two.

Did You Know?

• Hampshire have only lost one of their nine meetings with Durham at the The Ageas Bowl
• Ryan McLaren claimed seven Durham wickets on his Hampshire debut in September 2015   

What The Team Say:

Hampshire Director of Cricket Giles White said: “We were in this position last year and things worked out well for us - we’re a win away from safety. It will be interesting to follow, with a real battle going on at top and bottom of the table.

“We’ve had a week to prepare for the game, which has given the boys time to refresh as much as anything, so let’s hope for fine weather and four days of cricket. It’s about being positive, being brave and looking to put yourself into a position to win the game.”

“Sean has been magnificent this year, showing true consistency with the bat. We’ve always known that he has real quality and hopefully he can make a difference against Durham.”

Full Hampshire Squad:

Coverage:

Live text commentary will be available via the Hampshire Cricket Twitter and Facebook pages. A feed to these will also be available on this page.

There will be ball-by-ball commentary available on BBC Radio Solent online at bbc.co.uk.

Weather:

For a full weather forecast of Hampshire’s match against Durham, go to: www.bbc.co.uk/weather/so30

Tickets:

Tickets for all four days of Hampshire’s match against Durham at the The Ageas Bowl can be purchased online, over the phone on 0844 847 1863, or by visiting the The Ageas Bowl’s Ticketing & Membership Office during normal working hours.