Simon Jones Takes Two Wickets in His Return to the Seconds

Simon Jones celebrates after taking his first wicket in over a year

Hampshire Second XI v Essex Second XI match report

Hampshire Second XI v Essex Second XI
Second XI Championship
Start: Tuesday 17th May 2010
The Rose Bowl

Summary
Essex win by 104 runs
Essex: 346 & 297
Hampshire: 322 & 217

It’s the words Hampshire fans have wanted to hear for a very long time; Simon Jones is back in action, and back amongst the wickets.

Playing in a Second XI match against Essex, the former Worcestershire man bowled a total of 15 overs in two innings, taking 2 wickets with one being lbw and the other caught behind.

It’s an important milestone in Jones’ recovery as he looks to return from more than a year out.

Unfortunately his performance wasn’t enough to stop the team falling to their third straight Second Eleven Championship defeat of the season. Needing a score of 322 to win off their second innings, the team were all out for 217, losing by 104 runs.

Other special mentions should go to Danny Briggs who took 4 for 89 with the ball and Hamza Riazzudin who scored a century with the bat, both in the team’s first innings.

Benny Howell also batted admirably scoring 79 and 68 in his two spells at the crease.

But it will be Simon Jones who takes all the headlines. The Rose Bowl medical staff are still understandably cautious about setting a date for Jones’ return to first team action. All we can hope is that, on this performance, it’s very soon indeed.

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