MATCH REPORT by Jane Cable: TWENTY20 FLOODLIT CHALLENGE

Using the pink ball for the first time in a competitive county game was always going to make life interesting for the batsmen; just how interesting was something Essex found out when four wickets tumbled within five overs.
Captain Pettini was the first to fall (c Lamb b Taylor for 3) after just three balls, and Napier fell similarly cheaply (c Adams b Balcombe for 4) with the score on 19. Straight away Chopra was leg before, again to Balcombe, having just reached double figures, and the new pink ball carnage was complete when Westley was caught behind off Griffiths without scoring. Hampshire had taken 4 wickets for 25 runs in only the 5th over.

The pink ball was looking increasingly luminous as the floodlights came on, but it seemed to have lost its venom, with ten Doeschate and Mickleburgh starting to turn singles regularly. Dawson came on to bowl in the 8th over and almost immediately Mickleburgh stumbled being sent back after attempting a second run – the ball was in Dawson’s hand at the bowler’s end and his pinpoint accurate throw hit the wicketkeeper’s stumps before Mickleburgh could recover and gain his ground.

Essex reached 50 in the 10th over with ten Doeschate taking the first of a number of fours off Dawson, but only another 14 runs were added before Middlebrook was run out; this time by an arrow straight throw from Griffiths enabling Dawson to knock off the bails. But by now ten Doeschate was obviously seeing the pink ball well and scoring freely. No more wickets fell and he finished on 70 not out with the Essex total 130 for 6.

As Hampshire started their reply it looked as though their batsmen were going to be similarly troubled when Lumb was bowled by Palladino for 4 in the first over. Captain Jimmy Adams survived an impassioned appeal for a caught behind when he was on 5, and was dropped by Ahmed on 13, but went on to score 39 off 35 balls until ten Doeschate was back in the action, taking a catch off Westfield to dismiss him.

Benham’s brief innings of 3 ended when he fell lbw to Middlebrook in the 12th over, and there was more drama for Hampshire when Carberry was dropped by Westfield on 32. But Dawson and Carberry took the home team past the post without further incident, finishing on 23 and 58 respectively. Carberry in particular was back to his majestic best, scoring boundaries at will; six 4s and a 6 in total, his 9th 50 in Twenty20 cricket.

And Carberry’s verdict on the pink ball? Mixed, as it happened. He thought it was good from a spectator point of view, but that it got lost in even The Rose Bowl’s brilliant floodlights when hit high into the air. Thinking back to Westfield’s drop – perhaps even that wasn’t too much of a disadvantage.

Hampshire play Essex at Chelmsford on Friday 5th September in the second leg of the Challenge, which starts at 7pm.

Hampshire's last home match of the season is a Natwest Pro40 clash against 2007 winners, Worcestershire on Saturday 6th September.  Come and support the Hawks!

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Balcombe bowled Napier (4) caught by Adams (Photo - Barry Zee)

Adams and the team congratulate Balcombe (Photo - Barry Zee)

Balcombe bowled Chopra lbw (Photo - Barry Zee)

Dawson went on to score 23 not-out for the Hawks

Captain Adams (39) in partnership with top-scorer Carberry (58) not-out (Photo - Barry Zee)

 

 

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