Carberry Hits Second Ton As Hants Draw with Durham

Full match report from all four days of the LV= County Championship match at May's Bounty, Basingstoke.

Hampshire v Durham
LV= County Championship Division 1
Tues 3rd - Fri 6th August 2010 (11.00 start)
May's Bounty, Basingstoke

Summary
Match drawn
Hampshire: 421-5 d & 203-5 (62.2 ov)
Durham: 320-7 d
Click here to see a full scorecard

On the day that Michael Carberry announced he had signed an extension on his contract that would keep him at Hampshire until 2014 (read more here), the first innings centurion celebrated his second ton of the game as Hampshire batted out a draw against Durham in the LV= County Championship at May’s Bounty, Basingstoke.

It was a weather-affected final day which saw little in the way of downpours but plenty of drizzle and disruption, a result never looked like the most likely of outcomes. But when both teams went off at 3pm with Hampshire on 203-5 (304 ahead) and showing no signs of declaring the game’s fate was put beyond doubt.

The outcome sees Hampshire take 10 points from the game (5 batting and 2 bowling as well as 3 for the draw) and sitting in 7th place in the table (112 points).

Durham, who had tried to force the result with an early declaration, would leave far less happy; their 7 points (3 batting, 1 bowling and 3 for the draw) leaving them second bottom of the table (107 points), albeit with a game in hand over their hosts.

 

Soon after, the first of three breaks for rain seemed to give Lumb and Carberry the fresh impetus they needed to go on and attempt to make a big score quickly, with the former hitting two balls for 6 in very quick succession. Minutes later he would make sure of his half-century before a quick single took Hampshire onto 150-2 at lunch; the pair having made more than 100 runs as a partnership in a single session.

From then on, all eyes would be on Carberry as he did his best with a flat wicket and more rain delays to pick up his century – this one achieved off 164 balls and including twelve 4s and three 6s.

Carberry celebrated his second century of the match

Though other potential turning points came and went (Carbs would go on to lose partner, Lumb (64), then swipe a boundary to take his team through to 199 – 300 runs ahead of their opponents) the declaration that many were still expecting never came. The hosts’ decision not to take any risks by allowing a fellow relegation-threatened team to have a bat became obvious.

Looking to make the most of a bad situation, Durham’s Ian Blackwell picked up three wickets in quick succession, one of which was Carberry who eventually fell for 107, stumped as he missed a ball while standing outside his crease.

Alas a third and final shower would see the game consigned to a draw. The two teams meet again on Sunday in the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition, before Hampshire travel to Taunton for their next LV= County Championship match against Somerset which starts on Monday.

Words: Simon Vincent - Images: Neil Marshall

Day Three

Summary
Hampshire lead Durham by 142 runs
Hampshire: 421-5 d & 41-2
Durham: 320-7 d

Durham’s brave decision to declare 101 runs behind Hampshire in their first innings means there’s still life in this contest despite a frustrating day for the hosts.

An incredible 176-run 5th wicket partnership between Ben Stokes and Gordon Muchall saved Durham from a what looked a probable follow-on on day three after an awesome opening from the Hampshire attack that saw 4 wickets fall for just 40 runs.

James Tomlinson followed a noteworthy performance with the bat yesterday with a fine performance with the ball, taking the wickets of Mark Stoneman and the experienced, Ian Blackwell, and ending the day with a fine economy rate of 2.68 from his 16 overs.

However, the work of Stokes – who fell one run short of the ton – and Muchall who went one better by picking up the century – looked to have earned the visitors a draw that would have done little for either teams’ chances of climbing away from the bottom of the table. Doubtless, the crowds will flock back to Basingstoke tomorrow to see whether Phil Mustard’s gamble pays off.

 

And the visitors were still reeling when, without scoring, captain Phil Mustard left – caught by McKenzie at slip off the bowling of David Balcombe. It would be the pace-bowler’s second wicket of the day, and would have made both changing rooms an interesting mix of emotions as Durham went in for tea on 230-6.

The centurion gets the cold shoulder from Hampshire's James Tomlinson 

After the break, the visitor’s dug their heels in with Muchall taking his personal total to 140 not out, Scott Borthwick making a half-century and the two combining for a 100 partnership.

But then, as Borthwick (54) smashed Cork to the square leg boundary only to be caught by Lumb, Durham declared – an attacking move that put the pressure right back on Hampshire. With a lead of 101 runs, how many would they try to score and when would they, themselves, declare?

In the 11 overs that remained, Hampshire added 41 runs to their score for the loss of two (Jimmy Adams (5) and nightwatchman Tomlinson (2)) leaving them with a lead of 142 going into the final day. A lunchtime declaration looks the most likely option tomorrow as both teams go for the win they so desperately need!

Words: Simon Vincent - Images: Barry Zee

Day Two

Summary
Hampshire lead Durham by 421 runs
Hampshire: 421-5

It's not often that James Tomlinson can claim to be the stand-out batsman but on day two of this LV= County Championship match against Durham he well and truly stole the show.

Coming in as nightwatchman at the tail-end of day one, the pace-bowler took his score from 8 to 31 not out thanks, in no small part, to a fabulous spell in which he hit Callum Thorp for three 4s in a row.

It was a performance that prompted Hampshire manager, Giles White to jokingly hail Tomlinson an "all-rounder", but in a rain-affected day, only 11 overs were possible.

It means the two sides go into day three with the hosts leading by 421 runs, and both teams hoping for better luck with the weather tomorrow.

 

Day One

Summary
Hampshire lead Durham by 373 runs
Hampshire: 373-5

A brilliant 314 run partnership between centurions Michael Carberry (162) and Michael Lumb (158) put Hampshire in a dominant position on day one against Durham. 

The four-and-a-half hour partnership was only eight runs short of the second wicket record for Hampshire set back in 1920.

However, having had no luck for 75 overs, the last hour with the new ball proved crucial for Durham and, indeed, may still have an influence on the game as Hampshire lost 4 wickets for only 20 runs with Thorp the pick of the bowlers taking 2-43.

Lumb said of his performance: “It felt good. I started feeling good last week before I got out against Lancashire. I had a bit of luck today, but that innings is up there with one of my best. We’ve had a few big partnerships, me and Carbs, and with him playing so well it was nice to be out there with him.”

 

Click on the image above see highlights of Tuesday's play

Hampshire captain Dominic Cork won the toss and decided to bat and openers Carberry and Jimmy Adams started well, stringing together some nice fours. Durham would be left regretting an early chance when Carberry edged Steve Harmison to third slip in only the seventh over but Dale Benkenstein couldn’t take the catch.

Once Adams (18) left, new man, Lumb played the anchor roll for Carberry to push on. The pair looked steady as they reached an unbeaten half century partnership. Carberry then reached his own half century landmark with an audacious quick single, having taken 101 balls and hit nine 4s. At lunch, Hampshire were looking comfortable on a healthy 99-1.

But it was after the break that the pair really took the game to the bowlers. The first 12 overs in the session brought 70 runs in which Lumb passed the half century mark. The pair despatched the ball to all parts of the ground, some shots slightly fortunate not to find a fielder, especially from Harmison who became very frustrated.

In a bid to block the runs Durham brought on spinners, Ian Blackwell and Scott Borthwick but the boundaries continued to flow with ease. The biggest shot came from Lumb who hit Borthwick back over his head for six. The pair raced to their centuries, Lumb crashing the ball back down the ground for four and then, the very next over, Carberry reaching his with a cut.

Michaels Carberry and Lumb celebrate the former's century

The stats speak for themselves; Lumb’s century had come in 137 balls hitting a six and 18 fours while his second fifty took only 53 balls. Carberry took 160 balls, finding the boundary 19 times. Meanwhile, Hampshire had racked up 199 runs in the session with the partnership worth 267 runs; the hosts on 298-1 at tea.

As dusk began to fall, so did the Hampshire wickets; Durham taking four for only 20 runs. With Benkenstein bowling from the Town End, Carberry (162) mis-timed a drive to point where Borthwick took an easy catch. The partnership came to an end on 314 - eight short of the highest second wicket stand for Hampshire set by George Brown and Edward Barrett against Gloucestershire in 1920.

Nevertheless, the home crowd could leave feeling they'd got their money's worth. Let's hope for more of the same tomorrow.

Words: Glenn Noble - Images: Neil Marshall

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