2003: Finding Our Rhythm
Quiz Question: Robin Smith, in his final season, played for Hampshire in a competitive match against Rahul Dravid in another country during the domestic English summer of 2003. What was the game?
See the bottom of the article for the answer
In 2003 Hampshire County Cricket Club showed clear signs of progress at the Rose Bowl, with greater familiarity translating into improved performances—most notably in one-day cricket. It was a truly historic year for the venue. On 13th June the first ever round of T20 matches anywhere in the world included the first ever Sky televised T20 match between Hampshire v Sussex at the Rose Bowl. Fittingly, Hampshire won a very close game by 5 runs in front of a full house of 8,687 fans. James Hamblin immediately picked up the tempo of this new shorter format, hitting 7 boundaries from the 27 balls he faced, opening with Derek Kenway. Wasim Akram, the world-class Pakistan all-rounder came in at three and hit Hampshire’s first ever six in T20 cricket. Hampshire were bowled out for 153 in 19.4 overs. Despite batting their full allocation and only losing 7 wickets, Sussex lost out narrowly in the first ever South Coast derby leaving the jubilant home fans to stay on after the finish for the music that followed.
It proved a great dress rehearsal for the first Rose Bowl ODI between South Africa and Zimbabwe less than a month later. The 50-over game was won easily by South Africa by 7 wickets with just under 15 overs to spare. Makhaya Ntini (4-45) extracted early movement, and only former Hampshire all-rounder Heath Streak offered real resistance with 50 for Zimbabwe. Geoffrey Dean wrote in The Times, “New stage, same script. The Rose Bowl having unveiled itself to international cricket for the first time, provided a magnificent setting on a sublime day, but Zimbabwe’s batsmen fluffed their lines again to hasten an early finish to this particular West End production.”
Hampshire began the 2003 season with John Crawley as the new captain. At the age of 37, Wasim Akram was signed with Simon Katich as overseas players. Ed Giddins also joined from Surrey, having played for Hampshire 2nd XI a number of years earlier. Katich proved a fine acquisition with 1,143 runs at 60.15. Two of his four Championship centuries were made at the Rose Bowl against Durham (135) and Northants (117). Nic Pothas (121) made the most remarkable century of the season on the new ground in mid-July, in one of the club’s greatest ever County Championship victories in the county’s rich history. Having been completely outplayed for two days, Hampshire followed on against Glamorgan. The deficit was 252 runs on first innings; Hampshire eventually won by 94 runs. The second innings score of 449 also included Richard Hindley making 68 not out. His only ever appearance for Hampshire was a very special one indeed. Chris Tremlett’s 6-51 in Glamorgan’s capitulation for 104 was the season’s best analysis by any bowler for Hampshire in the Championship.
Slightly less distinguished ‘one game wonders’ were Dominic Clapp and Mark Thorburn who were on trial in the Oxford University game in the Parks. They were the 465th and 466th players to play for Hampshire in first-class cricket. It was only during 2003 that Dave Allen, Vic Isaacs, Andrew Renshaw and Stephen Saunders completed all the research to put every Hampshire player in order to create that very list. All members can see the fruits of their labours with the beautiful display board which now hangs in the Atrium with the full up-to date list. Sri Lankan Test bowler Chaminda Vaas arrived in the second half of the season as a replacement for Wasim Akram and took the tally to 468. Nobody on that board has more initials than WPUJC Vaas.
There are only five players who have ever represented Hampshire in first-class cricket with a surname beginning with “V”; they have all done so in the 21st Century and played at Utilita Bowl. One of them, Charlie van der Gucht, very sadly had to retire in July 2003 after battling valiantly to recover from a serious car accident. His only first-class appearance was three years earlier when he took 3-75. Internationals Adam Voges, James Vince and Tilak Varma make up the five. All three of them could very definitely play in the V!
Meanwhile, Derek Kenway’s 115 against Gloucestershire was Hampshire’s only other first-class century at the Rose Bowl in 2003. During the course of the summer eight opposition players scored hundreds against Hampshire in the longer format. The final innings of Robin Smith’s illustrious career came at Taunton in late August with yet another half-century. Nursing a bad hamstring injury and batting with a runner, he walked off 56 not out, when Hampshire were dismissed in their first innings for 395. In reply, Somerset made 705 for 9 declared. This was the highest opposition score against Hampshire in the County Championship since Surrey’s 742 at the Oval in 1909.
Overall, in the County Championship Division Two, Hampshire finished only one place off the bottom with 140 points. The only victory, apart from in that incredible fightback against Glamorgan, came in the battle for the wooden spoon at Derby in late September. Player of the Season Simon Katich’s hundred was vital, as was a six-over spell from a very young James Tomlinson after lunch on the last day of the Championship season. His spell of 5 for 9 set up a 10-wicket victory achieved an hour later. The issue of drawn matches persisted, still influenced by the nature of the pitches, but the side was harder to beat and arguably showed incremental progress with the emergence of promising academy graduates.
In the 45-over National League, Hampshire remained very competitive, eventually achieving promotion from Division Two on the final day of the season. Finishing third in a competitive league of ten, with 11 wins from 18 games, was definitely a big improvement for the club. The leading wicket-taker was Dimitri Mascarenhas with 34 wickets at just 17.2, while Nic Pothas was top of the batting averages in his first season - with an average of 71 from his 8 innings in the ECB National Cricket League. In the first ever C&G Trophy game hosted at the Rose Bowl, Sussex spoilt the party in early May. The Twenty20 Cup season also fell away immediately after that first win on Sky against Sussex. Surrey topped the South Zone Table and went on to win the first ever T20 Trophy Final.
On a much brighter note - and at the fourth time of asking - the 2nd XI finally won the ECB 2nd XI Trophy. In the Final against Warwickshire at the Rose Bowl, Jimmy Adams made 97 not out off just 108 balls, as Hampshire romped home by nine wickets. There was a nucleus of young players in that squad who were to break through into the first team in the years to follow, including Chris Benham, Greg Lamb, James Bruce, Chris Tremlett, James Tomlinson, Laurence Prittipaul, Kevin Latouf and Jimmy of course.
Off the field, the Rose Bowl continued to evolve. By its third season, the ground was becoming more established, with ongoing improvements to facilities and a growing sense of permanence. The venue’s reputation also continued to grow within the domestic game, increasingly viewed as a key part of English cricket’s future structure. In early 2004, the Club received the accolade of being one of three venues chosen – together with The Oval and Edgbaston – to host the Champions Trophy in September 2004. In late August, it also staged its first concerts. More than 10,000 tickets were sold for boy band Blue. 24 hours later Aled Jones’ classical concert with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra was also well supported. From November 1st, 2003, Hampshire County Cricket Club Limited formally changed its name to Hampshire Cricket Limited. It remained a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rose Bowl plc.
The final word on the 2003 season, though, must be Rod Bransgrove’s summary of Robin Smith’s retirement after 23 years’ yeoman service. He wrote on page 32 of the very fine 2004 Hampshire Handbook, “It is my view that Robin is probably the most important player in the history of Hampshire cricket. His ability to consistently score runs on the big occasions set him apart from other batsmen and his loyalty, a characteristic which is regularly challenged by avarice these days, sets him apart from other men.”
Quiz Answer: In the ECB National Cricket League Division Two, Hampshire Hawks played the Scotland Saltires away at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh on June 1st, 2003. Dravid made 23 for Scotland, batting at number 3, in their 201-8 (from their allotted 45 overs). Robin Smith’s 82 not out earned him the Man of the Match Award in Hampshire’s 6 wicket win. Robin’s Scottish born mother Joy was there to see him pass 7,000 one-day league runs during his match-winning knock.
You Can Be a Part of History
Throughout 2026, 25 Years of The Bowl will be marked through a series of celebrations reflecting the venue’s history, people and progress.
One of the headline moments of the anniversary year comes on Friday 29 May, as Hampshire Hawks v Surrey brings the Party Like It’s 2001 theme to life with a retro-themed Vitality Blast double header at Utilita Bowl.
Together, these moments will celebrate 25 years of The Bowl - past, present and future.
