Hampshire's Previous Top Of The Table Title Challenges

I was asked last week how often Hampshire have gone into the final game of the season top-of-the-table? Without trawling through the newspaper archives I am pretty confident that this year is just the fourth time – a confidence that comes partly from being sure they were not in that position in 1958, 1985 or 2005, when they finished second.

They were however top in both 1961 and 1973, the two years in which they won the title, and in both years they were already Champions when they came to the final game. In 1961 they beat Derbyshire in the penultimate match and followed it immediately with the second match of the Bournemouth week against runners-up Yorkshire. The visitors won that game although Hampshire quite probably came into the match – at least on the Saturday morning - having lived out the captain’s claim that he expected his team to be in bed before breakfast, following some lively celebrations.

In 1973 they clinched the title on bonus points on the Thursday afternoon against Gloucestershire, beat them on the following day and maintained their unbeaten record with a high-scoring final game against Kent at Southampton. This was the match when Richards and Greenidge were a few runs away from breaking our opening partnership record when the Kent left-arm pace bowler Richard Elms struck Richards who retired hurt. Elms later joined Hampshire for a couple of seasons.

The third occasion when they went into the final game on top was the following season,1974, and it remains for those of us of a certain vintage surely the saddest memory of all. Hampshire, with Andy Roberts wreaking havoc among opposition batsmen were probably stronger than in 1973 and led the table for much of the season, recording a number of emphatic innings victories. In mid-August at Portsmouth, they beat their nearest challengers Worcestershire by an innings and pretty well the whole English cricket world assumed the Championship was theirs again.

But that’s when the problems began. Worcestershire recovered their pride and began winning games while Hampshire took a first innings lead of 115 against Lancashire at Bournemouth but could not clinch victory when rain cut into the final two days. In Cardiff they took a lead of 144 but on a rain-affected pitch collapsed to 137 all out (Richards 60). As the pitch eased again, Glamorgan batted for 152 overs and one ball in scoring 284-5 to win the game with Peter Sainsbury returning extraordinary figures of 63-38-73-1.

The two sides returned to Southampton and Hampshire seemed intent on revenge as centuries from Richards and Turner took them to 393-8 and Glamorgan closed on 18-2. Bank Holiday Monday was almost wiped out, Glamorgan adding just 20 for the loss of one more wicket and although Hampshire forced the follow-on and took 15 wickets on day three (Herman 6-15) they could not complete the victory. Then it was back to Bournemouth for the penultimate match against Somerset.

Roberts (4-40) and Jesty (4-67) restricted Somerset to 264 and Hampshire took a lead of 141 before, on a beautiful summer’s evening, they reduced Somerset to 22-4. The veterans Brian Close and Jim Parks effected a recovery of sorts but Somerset closed still 51 behind with Parks injured and unlikely to bat. But the following day was wiped out by rain and with no points for the draw Hampshire were again frustrated.

They went into the final game just two points ahead but the rain remained through the weekend and on Monday and Tuesday. Worcestershire took four points from Essex, while Hampshire and Yorkshire never bowled a ball as the title was washed away. Hampshire were a fine side, finishing third the following year but I doubt those of us who watched them in those days imagined it would be almost 50 years before the chance would come again.