Benning Proves His Point as Foxes Beat Royals

Leicestershire beat Hampshire by 14 runs in their Clydesdale Bank 40 match at Grace Road.

Leicestershire Foxes v Hampshire Royals
Clydesdale Bank 40
Saturday 4th September 2010 (12.45 start)
Grace Road

Summary
Leicestershire beat Hampshire by 14 runs
Leicestershire Foxes: 241-3 (Howell 1-32, Dawson 1-42)
Hampshire Royals: 227-9 (Vince 62, McKenzie 46)

Hampshire bowed out of the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition with a loss at Grace Road in this match which had nothing at stake for either side.

Manager, Giles White used the opportunity to play a particularly young side, giving rests to more experienced players such as Dominic Cork.

In the skipper’s absence, the departing Neil McKenzie took the reins and looked to have got a reasonable performance from his side before the South African’s wicket fell and the tail faded with the evening light.

The result means Hampshire finish Group C in fourth – a fact that will bother them little if they can secure top-flight cricket in the Championship next season with their two remaining games against relegation rivals Kent and Warwickshire over the next two weeks.

Click here to see a full scorecard

Having lost the toss and been put in to bat, Hampshire suffered an early blow when, having pulled a four in front of square, Jacques du Toit added injury to insult by firing a shot straight back at Chris Wood's foot. The bowler went off (a hospital trip would later revealed the injury to be little more than bruising), bringing Jimmy Adams in to the field. Adams had hoped to have a well-earned rest, along with Cork, following his incredible excursions against Lancashire over the past four days but, alas, it was not to be.

The young attack, mainly relying on Liam Dawson, Hamza Riazuddin, Benny Howell and Danny Briggs toiled on, fighting against a slow wicket and a new white Kookabura ball (being trialled for the first time) which refused to swing or seam.

They were also contending with a James Benning who was playing with all the freedom of a man who had found out earlier this week that he’s to be released at the end of the season. He stayed at the crease little over an hour, but in that time he swept six 4s and a 6 to leave on 62.

However, his was the only really positive batting of the innings (which also saw a laboured du Toit knock of 84) until, that is, young Joshua Cobb came to the crease. His practically exuberant 43* off 26 balls at least saw Leicestershire to a reasonable score. It would prove to be the difference between the two teams as the Foxes went in at the break on 241-3.

Sean Ervine looks on as James Benning hits out.

Hampshire’s innings didn’t start well, either. After Phil Hughes (1) went inside 2 overs, Ervine looked, briefly, like he could be joining Wood on the physio’s table when he was struck on the side of the head by a bouncing Harry Gurney ball.

However, the knock appeared to wake both Ervine and James Vince up as they then began stroking boundaries around the field, adding 29 runs off the next 3 overs having made just 11 off the first four. By the end of the first compulsory powerplay, the visitors were 43 for 1 and looking good.

Both continued to play expressive cricket - with the latter registering his best score of the competition this season (62) - before their wickets fell leaving McKenzie and Michael Carberry at the crease. The experienced duo put on the highest Hampshire partnership of the match (64) but once they were gone the tail failed to wag.

In truth, Leicestershire seamer, Gurney was quite outstanding, ending up with figures of 5 for 24 off seven overs, wiping out Howell (5), Riazuddin (3) and Wood (2) as four wickets fell for 13 runs in the last 5 overs.

The subdued reactions all round at the end of the game said it all. With both team’s priorities lying elsewhere Leicestershire went back to trying to sort out their off-field issues, while Hampshire minds all turned from this dead-rubber at Grace Road to the practically winner-takes-all clash at Canterbury next week.

Words: Simon Vincent - Images: Dave Vokes

Back to news