Hampshire Finish Super50 Pre-Season Competition

Hampshire v Barbados Pride (Second Leg)

Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Tom Alsop†, Jimmy Adams*, Sean Ervine, Lewis McManus, Calvin Dickinson, Brad Taylor, Felix Organ, Gareth Berg, Fidel Edwards, Brad Wheal.

Barbados Pride: Kraigg Brathwaite*, Omar Phillips, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Shamar Springer, Tevyn Walcott†, Jason Holder, Ashley Nurse, Hayden Walsh Jr, Dominic Drakes, Chemar Holder.

1^st Innings: Barbados Pride 253-6 (49.1 Overs – Chase 105; F. Edwards 4-35)

2^nd Innings: Hampshire 107-5 (20.3 Overs – Weatherley 54*; Nurse 3-37)

Tuesday 13^th February saw Adams’ side take on top of the table Barbados Pride at the Windwards Ground, led by West Indies International, Kraigg Brathwaite.

Barbados were put into bat first after Adams won the toss, where the host team lost Phillips (4) and Carter (8) as two early wickets to the Hampshire paceman Fidel Edwards (4-35).

Brathwaite led his team in a captain’s style to create a 95-run partnership with competition top run scorer Roston Chase, before the skipper was also bested by Edwards for 42.

Roston Chase (105) continued to display his form by adding 117-runs in partnership with Shamar Springer (49) to give his team a solid 253-6 from 49.1 overs when the first innings came to a halt due to rain delays.

Hampshire followed the rain-break by introducing Weatherley & Alsop as the two openers to face Barbados’ opening bowlers. Alsop (4) was the first to go, with Adams (15) falling shortly after.

The hosts’ bowling attack bettered Hampshire’s middle-order and brought the visitors to 87-5 from 17 overs.

Weatherley (54*) played an inspiring role as the anchor batsman who wasn’t going to be beaten and stay in for the innings. The young opening batsman was joined by in-form all-rounder Brad Taylor (9*) before the rain delays shunted the Hampshire batting innings at 107-5, leaving the hosts 17-runs ahead via Duckworth-Lewis method.

Hampshire v Marooners CCC (Second Leg)

Marooners CCC: Kyle Corbin*, Kjorn Ottley, Cassius Burton, Khesan Ottley, Ryan Hinds, Vikash Mohan, Kenneth Pennyfeather, Carlos Maynard†, Keron Cottoy, Jermaine Levy, Ojay Shields.

Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Tom Alsop†, Jimmy Adams*, Sean Ervine, Lewis McManus, Calvin Dickinson, Felix Organ, Brad Taylor, Gareth Berg, Fidel Edwards, Brad Wheal.

1^st Innings: Marooners CCC 124 (33.3 Overs – Kjorn Ottley 50; Taylor 4-26)

2^nd Innings: Hampshire 125-1 (28 Overs – Adams 66*; Levy 1-22)

Hampshire returned to the Kensington Oval on Thursday 15^th February following some challenging batting conditions in previous visits to the stadium.

The combined colleges side Marooners won the toss and elected to bat first. Marooners skipper Corbin (31) started the innings solidly with opening partner Kjorn Ottley (50) putting on a 56-run partnership and seeing off the Hampshire opening seamers Edwards and Wheal.

Gareth Berg broke the partnership by trapping Corbin LBW, which left the combined colleges exposed as they fell one after the other to Berg (3-28), Taylor (4-26), Organ (1-6) and Weatherley (2-2), who bowled out the hosts for 124 from just 33.3 Overs.

The visitors replied with in-form Weatherley (56*) and Adams (66*) seeing off the game to Hampshire’s second victory against CCC Marooners in just 28 overs following the wicket of Alsop, leaving Adams’ side just one-down at the end.

Windwards Volcanoes (Second Leg)

Windwards Volcanoes: Devon Smith, Johnson Charles, Tyrone Theopile, Kirk Edwards, Andre Fletcher†, Kavem Hodge, Kyle Mayers, Shane Shillingford*, Delorn Johnson, Larry Edward, Obed McCoy.

Hampshire: Joe Weatherley, Tom Alsop, Jimmy Adams*, Sean Ervine, Lewis McManus†, Calvin Dickinson, Brad Taylor, Asher Hart, Chris Wood, Brad Wheal, Fidel Edwards.

1^st Innings: Windwards Volcanoes 293 (48.4 Overs – Fletcher 132; Wood 5-38)

2^nd Innings: Hampshire 157 (37.4 Overs – McManus 35; Hodge 4-24)

Hampshire’s final group fixture was hosted on Saturday 17^th February at the 3Ws Oval. Their final endeavour in the Super50 competition was their second leg fixture against Windwards Volcanoes, bolstered by West Indies white-ball International Andre Fletcher, and more International representatives with him.

In-form Fidel Edwards struck early into the Windwards top-order, taking the wickets of Charles (6), Theophile (1) and Kirk Edwards (1), leaving the hosts at 27-3 within the seventh over.

Opening batter Devon Smith was then joined at the crease by Windwards’ keeper-batsman Andre Fletcher batting at five, when the hosts then looked to take the attack to the visitors.

The current and previous West Indies International players at the crease hosted a well-controlled 155-run partnership which helped bolster their team's position in the match, before Joe Weatherley (1-46) broke the partnership by removing Smith for 84.

Windwards’ lower-middle order were demolished by Hampshire opening bowler Chris Wood on his return spell to the crease taking a brilliant 5-38 to help keep Hampshire in the match.

Fletcher (132) was finally removed by Fidel Edwards (4-51) leaving the Volcanoes on 293 all-out from 48.4 overs.

Windwards commenced their bowing innings by removing Hampshire’s opening batters, bringing in numbers three and four, Adams and Ervine.

The experienced duo got set with a 43-run partnership before skipper Adams fell to Kyle Mayers for 30 and Ervine (34) was bowled by the hosts' captain Shillingford (3-45) bringing the visitors to four-down for 83 runs.

Young wicket keeper-batsman Lewis McManus (35) and bowling all-rounder Wood (24) both tried to help Hampshire out of an unfavourable situation, however Windwards’ bowling attack led by Kavem Hodge (4-24) played formidably, bowling out Hampshire for 157.

Hampshire return to England this week following their Super50 campaign, bringing new experience from playing abroad in different conditions which may improve the squad’s adaptability for divergent pitch conditions for the season ahead.

Exciting prospects have arisen throughout the tournament with Brad Wheal and Fidel Edwards impressing with their pace bowling by striking many crucial wickets, whilst Brad Taylor, Jimmy Adams and Joe Weatherley produced some inspiring efforts with the bat, all of which lead to an exciting season ahead for Hampshire.

Follow the link below to see full scorecards of Hampshire's Super50 fixtures.