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Alsop's Maiden County Champs Fifty Puts Hampshire On Top
Alsop's Maiden County Championship Fifty Puts Hampshire On Top
Tom Alsop scored 72 runs and Ryan McLaren took 3-17 during a terrific fielding display, which reduced Notts to 99-5
Tom Alsop (72) hit the first Specsavers County Championship fifty of his career to rejuvenate Hampshire's against Nottinghamshire, before Ryan McLaren (3-17) put the home side in the driving seat on day two at the The Ageas Bowl, leading the visitors (99-5) by 171 runs.
Alsop took Hampshire to 232-7 having forged a resilient 72-run partnership with experienced batsman Sean Ervine (42), and a 33-run stand from James Tomlinson (21*) and Mason Crane (10) usefully pushed Hants to 270 all out.
McLaren then produced a wicked spell with the ball, finding edges from Steven Mullaney, Brendan Taylor and Samit Patel, after some terrific fielding had reduced Notts to 2-8, ending the day on 99-5.
Hampshire had been on the back foot on day one, but Alsop and Ervine’s vital 72-run partnership changed the game.
Alsop raised the bat to polish off a magnificent week of run-scoring for Hampshire, adding a first-class fifty to his two centuries for the Second XI, which had ultimately warranted his selection for this match.
It would have been nice to go on here at the The Ageas Bowl but hopefully as the game goes on the 72 will be worth a little bit more. I felt comfortable in the middle order. Growing up I have always been around the top six, but opening at the beginning of the season was a good experience.
We felt really good about our total, a few lads were saying 250 would be a good score on this deck. It offers a lot it has a bit of up and down bounce. If you put it in the right areas there is a bit of invariable bounce. It does look like it might flatten out but that might help Mason.
Tom Alsop
Adam Wheater (19) was dismissed by left-armer Harry Gurney, his slight edge finding the gloves of Nottinghamshire skipper and wicket-keeper Chris Read, leaving Hampshire on 199 with four wickets remaining.
Alsop’s fine innings was brought to end by Gurney, who took his second wicket of the match with an outswinging delivery which nicked behind to Read, after McLaren had helped Hampshire past 200 and onto 228/6 at lunch.
A flurry of wickets transformed Gurney’s figures, taking 3-4 after lunch, McLaren edging to Wessels and Tino Best (0) trapped at lbw not long after Alsop was removed, leaving Hampshire on 235-9 in the 93rd over.
Mason Crane (10) and Tomlinson (20*) forged a valuable 33-run stand to frustrate Nottinghamshire, who eventually took Crane’s wicket through Patel (1-19), caught behind by Read.
Hampshire made a terrific start in the field, first McLaren pocketing Mullaney (0), diving athletically to his left at gully, before Michael Carberry ran out Jake Libby (2). Nottinghamshire’s Michael Lumb (25*) and Brendan Taylor (15*) survived Hampshire’s imposing start with the ball and reached tea at 32/2.
After his excellent catch, McLaren then troubled the Notts batsman with the ball, first finding an edge from Lumb (32) that carried to Jimmy Adams at first slip, and leaving Notts on 53-3. The first of three terrific dismissals.
The South African then took Taylor (28), who was moving along nicely, and wasted no time in removing his replacement, Patel (3), to firmly place Hampshire in the driving seat - Notts 72-5.
Notts batsman Riki Wessels (22*) and Chris Read (8*) then led Notts to 99-5 at stumps on the second day, leaving Hants in a promising position going into the third day.
