Match Preview: Yorkshire v Hampshire - Specsavers County Championship

Hampshire get their 2017 season underway this Friday as they travel to Headingley to take on Yorkshire in the opening fixture of the 2017 Specsavers County Championship.

Hampshire Squad:

Rilee Rossouw is set to make his first-class debut for Hampshire in this fixture, with new signing Kyle Abbott also set to feature, whilst James Vince and Liam Dawson are also available after spending periods of their off-seasons overseas.

Michael Carberry is available for selection following his return to the side, whilst Mason Crane, fresh from an impressive winter playing grade and first-class cricket in Australia, is also named in the 12-man squad.

Reece Topley is unavailable for this contest but is expected to be available later this month as he nears his return to the team.

The Opposition:

Former England batsman Gary Ballance captains Yorkshire, after being named club skipper during the winter. He could prove to be the main danger for the hosts with the bat, with former England opener Adam Lyth also sure to be an important factor at the top of the order.

England’s Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid have all been made unavailable for the fixture by the ECB, however fellow England representatives, David Willey and Liam Plunkett are likely to be available.

Did You Know?

• Hampshire’s James Vince and Sean Ervine both scored centuries in the opening fixture between these two sides last season.
• Gareth Berg has taken 16 wickets at an average of just 27.31 in his five career appearances against Yorkshire.
• Michael Carberry scored a half-century in both innings when Hampshire last beat Yorkshire in first-class match at Headingley.

What The Team Say:

First Team Coach Craig White said: “I’m really excited and the boys can’t wait to get going - we’ve been ready now for a good couple of weeks now.

“It’s a tough start (playing Yorkshire twice and Middlesex in the first three matches) but you’ve got to look at it as a real opportunity. We’re going up to win this game and I don’t think there’s going to be any easy games this year – the guys know that and are focused on what lies ahead.”

Full Hampshire Squad: 

Coverage:

Live text commentary will be available via the Hampshire Cricket Twitter and Facebook pages. A feed to these will also be available on this page.

There will be ball-by-ball commentary available on BBC Radio Solent online at bbc.co.uk.

Weather Forecast:

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