Day Four

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Hampshire’s Felix Organ scored his fourth Rothesay County Championship century to avoid any final day excitement for title-chasing Nottinghamshire at Utilita Bowl.

Organ patiently collected his highest first-class score of 122 not out to make sure Hampshire avoided the follow-on to turn the day into a wait for the inevitable 16:50 BST draw.

The 14 points Nottinghamshire take from the match keeps them one point behind Surrey at the top of Division One – with four rounds still to play.

Hampshire’s 12 points leave them sixth but just 13 points above the bottom two, having only won twice in the Championship this season.

Organ is Hampshire’s version of James Milner. He fills in with whatever role his side needs.

He began his career as an opening batter but more often finds himself in the side when a spinning pitch is expected, where he slots in lower down the order to lengthen the batting options.

He is a fairly reliable insurance in both his skillsets, and it was his batting that took the fore on this occasion.

He’d begun the week by scoring 101 out of 171 for his Southern Premier Cricket League side St Cross Symondians, where he also took a five-for to secure a victory.

He ended it by making sure his county didn’t lose, and slip deep into the relegation battle.

Organ had already scored 70 on the third evening, largely in a 126-run partnership with Indian sensation Tilak Varma, but returned this morning with 61-runs still required to avoid the follow-on.

He needed others to stick with him.

Nightwatcher Eddie Jack fell leg before to Josh Tongue – who produce a ferocious early morning spell – but James Fuller hung around for over and hour to score 16 in 40 balls to get Hampshire within a sniff of their target before he was bowled.

Kyle Abbott simply went dot, four, six, six to alleviate any fears of defeat and beat the follow-on requirements. It left just over four hours to reach the earliest possible finish time.

Each of Organ’s three previous centuries have bettered his previous best score. His maiden was exactly 100 back in 2019, before scoring 107 at home to Gloucestershire and then 118 in the reverse fixture in 2022.

The trend continued after he went to three-figures in 266 with a six, as he was left unbeaten on 122 after Abbott was castled by Farhan Ahmed and Sonny Baker – who took 35 balls to get off the mark – was lbw.

Nottinghamshire boasted a first-innings lead of 124 but there was little chance of setting up anything.

Ben Slater calved to point before the last half an hour turned into a classic bore draw farce.

Wicketkeeper Ben Brown gave his pads and gloves to Varma to bowl some left-arm in an attempt to add to his one first-class wicket.

While Fletcha Middleton showed off his medium pacers for the first time in professional cricket.

Haseeb Hameed and Freddie McCann reached the easiest half-centuries of their career in a 99-run stand before 16:50 BST finally rolled around.

Day Three

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Tilak Varma once again proved his enormous talent with his second century in three matches as Hampshire fought hard to keep title-challenging Nottinghamshire at bay at Utilita Bowl.

India prodigy Varma added 112 to take his average in his Hampshire stint to just under 79.

He put on 42 with Nick Gubbins, 58 with Ben Brown, and most substantially 126 with Felix Organ to bite into Nottinghamshire's large 578 first-innings score.

Organ ended the day unbeaten on 71 with 61 runs still needed to avoid the follow-on – in doing so Hampshire should be safe from defeat on the final day.

Fletcha Middleton and Joe Weatherley had hunkered down for 32 overs of hard graft the previous evening. They got their rewards by collecting half-centuries in the morning.

Neither showed any flashiness, just survival-style opening batting - putting on 94 together.

That was unsurprising for Weatherley who was playing his first red ball match for two years, having lost favour in the Championship and fallen behind Middleton, Toby Albert, Felix Organ, Mark Stoneman, Ali Orr, Ian Holland in recent years.

He reached 52 but was bounced out by Mo Abbas – caught on the hook. Middleton also scored 52 and fell on Nelson when he edged Abbas behind.

It suddenly felt like an inevitable Abbas day.

The Pakistan international had spearheaded the Hampshire attack for four seasons, taking 180 wickets at an average below 20. The Weatherley scalp was his 100th at Utilita Bowl.

He was back in his familiar surroundings, not least because the keys to ‘his’ Hilton Hotel suite on the ground had been handed back to him for this week - famously blocked for Manchester City Pep Guardiola bu him a few years ago.

But despite his mid-morning burst, the Kookaburra ball softened and fast bowling was a game of patience, while the pitch didn’t offer regular turn for the spinners.

Not that it stopped Liam Patterson-White ripping one to pin a leaving Nick Gubbins lbw, before Tom Prest loosely hoicked to mid on.

Ben Brown looked like the man to stick with Varma, but after a 58-run alliance, the Hampshire captain was leg-before to Lyndon James.

Josh Tongue had been released by England for the last two days of the match. He replaced Brett Hutton at the beginning of the day but went wicketless in his 18 overs. Notts’ bowlers otherwise toiled for little reward – and will have taken pleasure at the rate never reaching three runs an over.

In a low red-ball period for Hampshire, Varma has been a giant.

His arrival, which came thanks to Indian owners GMR Group’s influence, has brought a calmness to the middle-order, with plenty of runs to match.

He opened with a century against Essex, before 56 and 47 versus Worcestershire and then this century – during those innings he has barely looked like being dislodged.

Varma’s judgement of line and length is a superpower, with the ability to boundaries when the right parameters are met for risk.

He already has 29 international caps, they will surely only surge in a short amount of time.

The left-hander’s century came in 203 deliveries, although he was out-patienced by Organ, who took zero risks, with large spells of no scoring.

Organ’s second fifty of the season came in 138 balls, and even with Varma strangled down the leg side, Hampshire will feel almost safe.

Day Two

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Lyndon James masterfully struck his maiden double century as title-chasing Nottinghamshire took control of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Hampshire.

James helped his side to maximum batting points with an awesome 203 not out, overtaking his previous personal best of 164.

With him, Jack Haynes took himself to a fourth hundred of the season – the most in Division One – while Brett Hutton’s 71-run cameo allowed Nottinghamshire to declare on 578.

Joe Weatherley and Fletcha Middleton reached close with no damage for the hosts – ending on 90 without loss, in arrears by 498 runs.

The day was a procession of bat raises from Nottinghamshire batters – six of them in total.

Haynes was the first as he converted his overnight 70 to three figures in 42 day two balls – 129 in total. It was the fourth time he had passed fifty, and the fourth time he had converted to a hundred this season.

But after a flourish of drives and boundaries, his 106-run stand with James was ended when Kyle Abbott got Haynes chipping the second new ball to mid on.

Hampshire had an inexperienced attack – without Keith Barker, Liam Dawson, Brad Wheal and John Turner – and failed to build any pressure throughout the day, albeit with an unhelpful ball.

However trouble-free much of the bowing was, the batter standards were incredibly high – led by James.

The all-rounder kept up an empathetic scoring rate throughout his innings as he mixed a constant yearning for runs with a tight technique.

His one major life came on 94 when Hampshire dropped for a third time in the slips during the innings, and umpteenth time during the season – it was met by derision in the stands and Abbott curling into a frustrated ball at mid on.

James shook off the nineties nerves to reach his second century of the season, and the sixth of his career - one of real fluency.

Liam Patterson-White had accompanied him for 66 runs – one of six partnerships to pass 40 – before James Fuller pinned him lbw.

But Hutton – who will be replaced by England released Josh Tongue from tomorrow (day three) – arrived to ignite the innings even further.

Where fours had previously been struck, short balls were cannoned into the stands by both Hutton and James – combined they struck 12 in total – as any hope of containing them had disappeared for Hampshire.

Nottinghamshire reached maximum batting points – which could be crucial in their Championship bid. They had started the round just a point behind leaders Surrey.

Hutton picked out long on for an 87-ball 71, but James kept going despite being disturbed by tea when on 197. He reached his double century with a flick to the boundary and a fist pump.

Nottinghamshire immediately declared on 578 and gave Hampshire’s refreshed opening pair of Middleton and the recalled Weatherley a testing 32 overs – with Ali Orr absent with a concussion suffered in the Second XI.

As it happened, both breezed through with sturdy defences, although the defensive nature could harm their quest for much needed bonus points in the long term.

Day One

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Nottinghamshire batters Jack Haynes and Freddie McCann continued to score runs against Hampshire in the 2025 Rothesay County Championship on an even first day at Utilita Bowl.

Haynes and McCann both collected centuries in the reverse fixture at Trent Bridge in May, before each picking up half-centuries on the south coast.

Haynes ended the day unbeaten on 70, after McCann was dismissed for 79 – one of two scalps for Kyle Abbott, with Eddie Jack also picking up a couple of wickets.

Nottinghamshire ended the day on 241 for five, with neither side able to complain too much about their position in the match.

Haseeb Hameed called incorrectly at the toss and was inserted on a very green looking pitch, with plenty of threatening clouds overhead.

The Nottinghamshire captain was the only victim in a truncated nine overs before rain came down – which lumped 30 overs off the day. The highly-talented Jack got Hameed chasing a wide delivery which seamed even further away to edge behind.

Hampshire’s slip fielding which had blighted them at Trent Bridge returned for another.

Tilak Varma unsuccessfully juggled to spill Ben Slater, while Joe Weatherley gave McCann a life from first slip.

While Slater didn’t make the most of the drop – he scored just two more runs before he was bowled by a Abbott beauty that kissed the top of off – McCann did.

The 20-year-old’s season has been plagued by unfulfilled starts save for his 79 against Durham and the 138 against Hampshire.

He weathered the early Kookaburra ball movement, which Kyle Abbott had on a string, and was backed up by Jack and Sonny Baker.

McCann rebuilt from 31 for two with Joe Clarke and Haynes – putting on 74 and 43 – in a non-flashy, but effective manner.

He dominated square of the wicket in a 65-ball half-century, his sixth in first-class cricket.

Clarke and Haynes were happier to take risks with their shot-making in the partnerships as runs became easier as the day progressed and the ball softened.

Hampshire bypassed that with a plan, which worked to see off Clarke and McCann.

It revolved around slightly shorter pitch bowling and a fly gully – aiming to capitalise on the amount of balls being hit square on the offside.

Clarke couldn’t keep down a cut shot to pick up the odd field placing, while McCann stuck his bat up like a periscope to unusually guide to the man.

Kyle Verreynne returned for the first time since becoming a world champion, having helped South Africa to the ICC World Test Championship.

He was punchy in his quick-fire 42 before Jack drew a false pull, which was wonderfully caught by the sprawling James Fuller at deep square. Jack picked up a deserved second to end his first home Championship day two for 57.

Haynes passed his fifty in a blink and you’d miss it 54 balls before slowing towards the close, with Lyndon James now for company.

Bad light prematurely knocked off another 23 balls from the day’s play.