The season isn’t far away, as the country will spring into action at 11am on Thursday 7th April.
With the fixtures finally released, we take a look at who we’ll be competing against, and our recent history against our opposition.
Tickets for the 2022 LV= Insurance County Championship go on general sale on 8th March.
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Somerset: 7th-11th April (H), 19th-23rd May (A)
Sadly recently, Hampshire haven’t had a great record against the West Country side, having won just one match in the last four meetings.
However, the one win was quite a special one at The Ageas Bowl back in September 2019.
Hampshire were reduced to 24-5 after James Vince won the toss and chose to bat first, but a most crucial 103 from Liam Dawson, along with 40 from Keith Barker, scraped Hampshire to 196 in their first innings.
Somerset too lost early wickets with none of the seven exceeding 20 runs, and they were bowled out for 142 as Kyle Abbott took a career-best 9-40 in 18.4 overs.
It was then James Vince’s turn to score a much needed hundred for Hampshire, as he ended on 142 in a total of 226.
Second time around, Somerset got off to a better start with Murali Vijay being the first to fall with the score on 89.
However, that week in Southampton, when it rained – it poured.
Somerset were all out for 144 with Kyle Abbott taking a further eight wickets, finishing the match with astonishing figures of 17-86 – a career best in red-ball cricket – as Hampshire won by 136 runs.
Surrey: 14th-18th April (A)
In our only Bob Willis Trophy match against Surrey in 2020, the Hampshire bowlers stood up to delivery an innings victory.
Surrey batted first and made only 172 thanks to Ian Holland’s 6-60 off 20 overs which included five of Surrey’s top seven.
In reply, Hampshire made two runs shy of 300, as Tom Alsop and Sam Northeast hit 87 and 81 respectively, supported by 36 from Joe Weatherley and a cameo of 25 off 21 balls from Mason Crane.
Surrey were then bowled out for 74 as Jamie Smith top scored with just 22. James Fuller took 4-17 in seven overs, with three for Crane, two for Brad Wheal, and one to Dutchy, to give Hampshire a second win in the Bob Willis Trophy.
Kent: 21st-25th April (A), 20th-24th Sept (H)
Hampshire haven’t had much chance to play Kent in recent years with the current T20 Blast champions competing in Division Two of the County Championship from 2011-2018.
The Club’s most recent win against Kent was back in September 2010 at Canterbury when twin fifties by Jimmy Adams and six wickets in the match by James Tomlinson – both now coaches at Hampshire – helped us to a 130-run victory.
Also in the runs were Michael Carberry, Liam Dawson and James Vince who all made half-centuries in Hampshire’s second innings score of 355-9d, whilst Dominic Cork took match figures of 7-87.
Fewer than half of the 22 players who played in that game are still playing.
Lancashire: 28th Apr-2nd May (H)
We can’t look much further back than the final round of last year’s LV= Insurance County Championship fixture at Aigburth when it comes to Hampshire v Lancashire.
In a low-scoring affair, Mohammad Abbas and Keither Barker took a combined 9-99 in Lancashire’s first innings to give Hampshire a lead – albeit only two runs.
In Hampshire’s second innings, captain James Vince made 69 along with 41 from Liam Dawson and 33 from Joe Weatherley to set the Red Roses a target of 196.
As we know, Hampshire came off second best in a single wicket defeat where Mason Crane took 5-41 but Lancashire’s Dane Vilas defied the Hampshire attack.
The Club’s most recent win against Lancashire was back in 2009. Chris Tremlett took 4-49 to help restrict Lancs to 208 all out. In reply, Dimitri Mascarenhas scored a quickfire century in Hampshire’s first innings of 345, aided by 86 from Nic Pothas.
South African leg spinner Imran Tahir then took 6-108 in 32.5 overs as Lancashire were 254 all out.
Hampshire then cruised to the target of 118 without losing a wicket, as Michael Carberry (62*) and Jimmy Adams (46*) safely saw Hants home.
Gloucestershire: 5th-9th May (H), 19th-23rd July (A)
In the group stages of last year’s LV= Insurance County Championship cruised to victory against a side that was promoted to Division One in 2019 but then struggled in the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020.
Gloucestershire made 299 in their first outing with several batters getting starts but none kicking on as Colin de Grandhomme took 4-31 in 18 overs, ably supported by Kyle Abbott (2-48), Brad Wheal (2-43) and Mason Crane (2-55).
Hampshire were just 55 runs shy of Gloucestershire’s total when Ian Holland was the first man out for 74 in a partnership of 174 with Joe Weatherley who was dismissed for 78.
In just his second match for Hampshire, Nick Gubbins scored his first century for his new county, finishing on 137* as Hants declared on 486-7.
Gloucestershire had a better time out in the second innings scoring 310 with a century by Tom Lace, as the Hampshire bowlers shared the wickets all around, with everyone contributing to the wickets column.
Hampshire’s target was only 54, and it was chased down in just the 11th over as Hants won by seven wickets at Bristol.
Yorkshire: 12th-16th June (H), 25th-29th July (A)
Hampshire completed a stunning comeback win away from home just under five years ago.
Gary Ballance was the mainstay in Yorkshire’s first innings of 273, as Steven Patterson (37*) was the only other player to make it past 30.
Hampshire were then skittled for 141 all out as Ben Coad and Tim Bresnan took all ten wickets between them – only Lewis McManus (41*) provided much resistance.
Ballance then top scored again for the White Rose with 55, but 7-41 by Kyle Abbott gave Hampshire an unlikely but not out-of-reach target of 320, but with two-and a-bit days still left to bat.
Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams started well with a 91-run opening stand.
Jimmy Adams made 71 with forties from Carberry, James Vince and Rilee Rossouw, plus thirties from Liam Dawson, Lewis McManus and Gareth Berg allowed Hampshire to sail through to a four wicket win up in Leeds.
Essex: 26th-30th June (A)
The first game of the 2019 County Championship could have hardly gone any better from a Hampshire perspective.
On his Club debut, Aiden Markram scored a half-century, before Sam Northeast scored Hampshire’s first century of the first-class season, ending up on 169.
Fifties from Rilee Rossouw and Liam Dawson helped Hants to a mammoth total of 525-8d and Essex were put into bat late on day two.
Alastair Cook’s 50 was the only contribution of note in Essex’s first innings of 164, besides 30s from Dan Lawrence (31) and Ravi Bopara (37*), as Fidel Edwards took 5-51, with Kyle Abbott and Keith Barker taking two wickets each.
The Chelmsford-based side were asked to follow on. A century by Bopara provided some resistance for Essex, along with 62 from Simon Harmer, but it was Kyle Abbott who did the damage for Hampshire.
The pace bowler took 5-77 and along with Edwards’ 3-49, Hants wrapped up victory by an innings and 87 runs.
Warwickshire: 11th-15th July (H), 26th-30th Sept (A)
Hampshire were the only team to defeat the future county champions in the division stage of last year’s competition.
Both first innings were all about the bowlers, as Hampshire were all out for 89 before Keith Barker and Mohammad Abbas took all ten wickets to skittle Warwickshire for 116.
Barker was centre stage again in Hampshire’s second innings, as he scored a crucial 75 batting at number nine.
Forties from James Vince and Ian Holland aided Hants to 322 all out, setting the Bears a target of 296.
Rob Yates and Dom Sibley got Warwickshire off to a strong start before the opening partnership ended just one run short of 100.
Once Yates was dismissed for 77, the wickets fell at regular intervals, as Liam Dawson picked up 3-42, whilst the seamers shared the wickets to bowl Warwickshire out for 235 to give Hampshire a victory by 60 runs at Edgbaston.
Northamptonshire: 5th-9th Sept (H)
It has been almost ten years since Hampshire last defeated Northamptonshire, in a thrilling final day run chase when went right down to the wire.
Northants made 356 in their first innings, as wickets were shared around – James Tomlinson and David Balcombe took three apiece, whilst Chris Wood and Liam Dawson combined for 4-91.
Hampshire trailed by 80 after their first innings, as captain Jimmy Adams led the way with 71 with the score propped up by 31s from Neil McKenzie and Kabir Ali.
Northants then declared on 245-8 setting Hampshire a target of 326 in 72 overs.
Adams and McKenzie put on 150 for the first wicket before Simon Katich strode out to the crease and made a quickfire 61*.
With the score on 277, and only 49 runs required, Jimmy Adams was dismissed for 149 – an innings that included 23 fours and two sixes, as Dawson and Katich ably chased down the runs with less than two overs to spare in the match – Hampshire winning by eight wickets.
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