From The Archive: International Matches At The Ageas Bowl

As the home of Hampshire Cricket prepares to host two huge England matches in 2020, Hampshire Cricket's historian Dave Allen looks back at every nation that has played at the The Ageas Bowl

Words: Dave Allen

The (then) Rose Bowl opened as a first-class venue in 2001, and the vision and hard work was rewarded in 2003 when South Africa beat Zimbabwe in the first international match in the ground. It was a 50-over contest in which past and future Hampshire players Heath Streak, Sean Ervine and Hashim Amla appeared, but Streak’s 50* could not prevent South Africa winning by 7 wickets in the 36th over.

New Zealand and West Indies were due to meet the following year but rain put paid to that plan, but in September 2004 the Rose Bowl was one of the grounds to host the Champions Trophy, during which India beat Kenya by 98 runs, Australia beat USA by nine wickets in a match that was completed in the 32nd over, and West Indies beat Bangladesh by 138 runs. Then England played their first match on the ground, beating Sri Lanka in a rain-affected Duckworth/Lewis conclusion. West Indies beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the semi-final and went on to the Oval to meet the hosts who had beaten Australia. West Indies, chasing 218, fell to 147-8 but won the match with an undefeated ninth wicket partnership.

In June 2005, England returned to play Australia in the first international T20 on UK soil. England posted 179, reduced Australia to 31-7 and won eventually by exactly 100 runs (Jonathan Lewis 4-24). From this point, all the international matches at the ground involved England until we reached the 2019 World Cup, and there have been visits from all the major international teams. In ODIs, Pakistan won in 2006, England beat India in 2007, 2008 was the only blank year and Australia won in 2009. From 2010-2012 England won four consecutive games but lost the next five, until they beat Pakistan in 2016. Former Hampshire player Shane Watson starred with 143 for Australia in 2013. This was an impressive innings, but his fellow ‘Aussie’ Aaron Finch beat it in a T20 match in 2013 when he scored 156 from just 63 balls as Australia were revenged for that inaugural match.


In other IT20 matches Sri Lanka beat England by two runs in 2006, despite Trescothick’s 72, but England reversed that result ten years later, winning by eight wickets (Buttler 73*). In the following season, they chased down South Africa’s 142 in the 15th over (Bairstow 60*).

In other ODIs, England beat South Africa in a thriller in 2016. They posted 330-6 with a century by Ben Stokes but won by just two runs, de Kock hitting 98 as South Africa closed on 328-5. England then beat West Indies in 2017. In the 2019 World Cup, India beat South Africa, South Africa v West Indies was abandoned in the eighth over, England beat West Indies by eight wickets, India just beat Afghanistan (11 runs) and the Bangladesh won by 62 runs v Afghanistan.

There have been three England Test Matches. The first in 2011 should have been a great occasion but the weather was unkind throughout and in some respects the stars of the show were Nigel Gray and his groundstaff team, although local boy Chris Tremlett came home, took 6-48 and was Man-of-the Match. England’s victory by 266 runs over India in 2014 was a triumph for under pressure captain Alastair Cook whose brave 95 preceded centuries by Balance and Bell. Then Anderson (5-53) and Moeen Ali with 6-67 in the final innings bowled England to victory. The crowds were fairly good but not helped by this being the first and to date, only Test Match in England to start on a Sunday.

The Indians returned in 2018 and while it was tighter affair, it ended on a Sunday with an English victory by 60 runs. Pujara made a fine century, while Moeen again had a five-wicket haul and nine in the match as England won a tight, engrossing game in which none of the four innings reached 300.


Tickets for England's two matches in 2020 (ODI v Australia, Tuesday 14th July & IT20 v Pakistan, Wednesday 2nd September) have been in huge demand - the Australia fixture selling out before even going on general sale.

An allocation of England v Australia ODI tickets have been held back for Hampshire Members who are able to buy four at a special discounted Members rate - but this discount (which also applies to England v Pakistan IT20 tickets) is only available until Friday 29th November.


MATCH LIST:

Where appropriate, winners in bold

TESTS

June 2011 Eng v Sri Lanka

July 2014 Eng v India

August 2018 Eng v India 


ODIs

July 2003 South Africa v Zimbabwe

July 2004 NW Series NZ v West Indies

Sept 2006 Eng v Pakistan

August 2007 Eng v India

Sept 2009 Eng v Aus

June 2010 Eng v Australia

Sept 2010 Eng v Pakistan

Sept 2011 Eng v India

June 2012 Eng v WI

August 2012 Eng v SA

June 2013 Eng v NZ

Sept 2013 Eng v Aus

June 2015 Eng v NZ

September 2015 Eng v Aus

August 2016 Eng v Pakistan

May 2017 Eng v SA

September 2017 Eng v WI

May 2019 Eng v Pakistan


ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY - September 2004

India v Kenya

Australia v USA

Bangladesh v WI

England v Sri Lanka

Pakistan v WI


WORLD CUP - June 2019

India v SA

SA v WI

England v WI

Afghanistan v India

Afghanistan v Bangladesh


INTERNATIONAL T20s

June 2005 Eng v Australia (first IT20 in UK)

June 2006 Eng v Sri Lanka

August 2013 Eng v Australia

July 2016 Eng v Sri Lanka

June 2017 Eng v SA

Since 2003, ONLY 2008 without an international match

** NB Chester-le-Street first matches in 1995   

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