The full schedule for the 2023 LV= Insurance County Championship was announced yesterday, with the first round of fixtures in the new season starting on Thursday 6 April. Hampshire recorded their best finish since 2008 last season as they ended up in third place.
With fourteen group games to come next summer, we have taken a look at which teams Hampshire will take on as they look for their first County Championship since 1973.
Nottinghamshire: 6-9 April (H), 19-22 July (A)
A new season starts with a new opponent in the form of newly promoted Nottinghamshire, who will visit The Ageas Bowl in the first week of April, before welcoming Hampshire to Trent Bridge in July.
Notts won Division Two last year to be promoted back into Division One for the 2023 season, the first time they find themselves in the top flight since their relegation in 2019.
During that season, Hampshire and Notts met twice, the first of which was played at Newclose on the Isle of Wight. Kyle Abbott, Keith Barker and Fidel Edwards all took six wickets in the match, while centuries for Ajinkya Rahane and Sam Northeast saw Hampshire run out 244-run victors.
The other match was heavily affected by rain and ended in a draw.
Surrey: 13-16 April (A), 26-29 September (H)
Surrey won the County Championship in 2022, seeing off Lancashire and Hampshire in second and third place respectively.
They host James Vince’s side at the Kia Oval in just the second game of the season, before making the trip to The Ageas Bowl for what could be a potentially decisive match, if last season is anything to go by.
In 2022, the two teams only met once as Surrey proved their quality to secure an innings victory in three days.
Northamptonshire: 20-23 April (A), 18-21 May (H)
Last season’s only meeting with Northamptonshire provided one of the most memorable moments of the entire season as, with the rain imminent at The Ageas Bowl, James Fuller took the visitors last wicket to win the game and keep Hampshire’s title hopes alive.
They ended up still falling short but the moment and the celebrations that followed will live long in the memory of those that experienced it.
In 2023, Hampshire will take on Northants on two occasions, beginning with a trip to The County Ground in Northampton in late April.
Warwickshire: 4-7 May (H)
2021 champions Warwickshire struggled to find any form last season as they narrowly avoided relegation to Division Two.
A nine-wicket haul from Liam Norwell on the final day of the last match of the season against Hampshire proved enough to complete a dramatic escape.
Earlier in the season though, Hampshire won quite convincingly with Kyle Abbott taking figures of 5-45 in the first innings, while Ian Holland and Liam Dawson both made scores in the nineties.
The two sides will meet only once at The Ageas Bowl in May next season.
Kent: 11-14 May (A)
Kent are the next side that Hampshire will take on, with their only meeting taking place at The Spitfire Ground.
The two fixtures between Kent and Hampshire were won by the away side, with Hampshire recording an innings victory which included centuries for James Vince and Ben Brown, and a career best of 171 for Liam Dawson.
However, at The Ageas Bowl, a first innings collapse proved too much for Hampshire to come back from as they were beaten by 77 runs.
Lancashire: 11-14 June (A)
On the final day of last season, Lancashire pipped Hampshire to second place and ended up finishing just a point above. The two only met once last season as Hampshire were made to rue the rain at The Ageas Bowl.
Play was abandoned on the final day due to bad weather, meaning Hampshire had to settle for a draw.
Nick Gubbins was the star of the show during the game though, scoring 101 and 130 in his side's two innings.
Middlesex: 25-28 June (H)
The final team that Hampshire will meet just once in this year's County Championship is the other team promoted from Division Two in 2022, Middlesex.
This season will mark their first season in Division One since 2017. Both games Hampshire played against them in that season ended in draws.
In 2023, the two team will meet just once as Middlesex travel to The Ageas Bowl in late June.
Somerset: 10-13 July (A), 3-6 September (H)
Hampshire began a successful 2022 season in emphatic fashion, seeing off Somerset in just three days as they won by an innings and 113 runs – Joe Weatherley’s career best of 168 was a particular highlight.
When they met again at Taunton in May, it was a similar result. The bowling trio of Keith Barker (6-27), Mohammad Abbas (2-11) and Kyle Abbott (2-27) wiped out the Somerset batting order for just 69 in their second innings, leaving Hampshire to need just a single run from theirs for victory.
The two sides meet twice again this year but will have to wait until the latter stages of the competition.
Essex: 25-28 July (H), 19-22 September (A)
The only match between Hampshire and Essex in 2022 was a low scoring affair at Chelmsford.
Neither team made over 300 runs in an innings and Essex held on to secure a 12-run win. Spin seemed to be the key that day with Liam Dawson picking up ten wickets in the match for the first time in his career.
2023 will see Hampshire take on Essex on two occasions and they will revisit Chelmsford in their penultimate game.
The best way to catch Hampshire in action all year long in 2023 is with a Hampshire Cricket Membership.
2023 Members also receive access to an exclusive allocation of tickets for next summer’s England Women’s Ashes ODI against Australia and the otherwise sold-out England Men’s ODI against New Zealand, alongside a whole host of other exciting benefits.
For more information on Hampshire’s Membership offering please follow the link below.
