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As we celebrate 25 Years of The Bowl, we uncover the stories behind the venue’s journey.
Written by
Dave Allen
Hampshire Cricket Heritage
John Winter
Hampshire Cricket Heritage
2011: Through The Storm
Quiz Question: Who were Hampshire’s two opening batsmen who shared four separate century stands for the first wicket in the 2011 County Championship, including one against Champions Lancashire at Blackpool?
At their AGM, the members elected the surviving members of 1961’s Championship-winning side as Life Vice-Presidents. Dominic Cork was appointed captain and Imran Tahir returned as overseas player. Hampshire signed three other South Africans, Friedel de Wet, Johannes Myburgh and McKenzie who returned. As English T20 Champions, Hampshire played in the Caribbean T20 Competition in January, reaching but losing the Final. During that competition they met Canada, Barbados, Leeward Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and the Windward Islands for the first time. They reached a second consecutive Finals Day in the T20 but after a tie in their semi-final with Somerset they lost in the ‘super over’.
Hampshire struggled again in the Championship and were relegated. Carberry suffered from a serious illness and played in just nine Championship matches, averaging 56.64. At Taunton, he and Adams added 373 for Hampshire’s second wicket, a new county record and against Yorkshire at the Rose Bowl, Carberry and McKenzie put on 523, a record stand for any wicket for Hampshire and Carberry scored their fifth triple century. In July, Hampshire had been fined points for a pitch with excessive turn despite a thrilling match v Nottinghamshire. For the next match v Yorkshire, the pitch was flat, the record stand was set; 1,171 runs were scored for the loss of just 13 wickets over four days.
Only McKenzie passed 1,000 runs although Dawson with 908 at 36.32 showed promise. The bowling was weak, Kabir Ali again missed more matches than he played and only Briggs with 38 wickets at 36.65 passed 30 in the season. Hampshire drew seven of their 16 matches, equalled only by Yorkshire who were also relegated. Hampshire failed to qualify in the CB40 although Chris Wood with 18 wickets enjoyed a promising season.
The highlight of 2011 at the Rose Bowl was the inaugural Test Match v Sri Lanka in June although after a spell of dry weather it was badly rain-affected and drawn. Chris Tremlett returned to the Rose Bowl and won Man-of-the-Match with 6-48 and Nigel Gray was awarded the Test Match Special ‘Champagne Moment’. Some of Hampshire’s younger players acted as substitutes for England and Adam Rouse held a catch. England beat India in a day/night match in September but that too was badly rain-affected and reduced to 23 overs per side.
Nic Pothas was the beneficiary. At the end of the season Cork, Pothas, Lumb, Jones, Myburgh, de Wet and Tahir all left Hampshire. Imran Tahir would make his Test match debut for South Africa. Former players Jon Ayling and Iain Brunschweiler left the coaching staff. Craig White came from Yorkshire to replace Ayling.
Havant won the Southern Electric Premier League, with Bournemouth runners-up.
Quiz answer: Jimmy Adams and Liam Dawson. They put on 181and 136 v Somerset at the Rose Bowl, 171 against Durham at the Rose Bowl and 103 against Lancashire at Blackpool.
