Match Preview: Hampshire v Lancashire, Specsavers County Championship

Hampshire will be looking to finish the 2018 campaign on a high as they take on Lancashire in the final Specsavers County Championship fixture of the season next week at the The Ageas Bowl.

James Vince’s side currently sit fourth in the Division One table with 141 points and a victory against the Red Rose county will likely secure a fourth-placed finish. A draw against Yorkshire at Headingley earlier this week guaranteed safety.

Hampshire batsman Jimmy Adams will take to the field for Hampshire for the final time next week before his retirement from professional cricket.

Hampshire Squad

A 13-man squad has been named for this week’s four-day contest, with just one change to the side that travelled to Headingley – Lewis McManus replaces Tom Alsop who suffered an injury to his left thumb whilst keeping on day three against Yorkshire. The full extent of his injury 

James Vince has enjoyed an impressive summer so far and needs just 79 more runs to finish with 1,000 first-class runs for the season. The right-hander is currently third in the list of Division One run-getters heading into the final round of four-day action and will be hoping to build on his tally at the The Ageas Bowl.

Kyle Abbott and Fidel Edwards have also had stellar campaigns, picking up 49 and 48 wickets at averages of 22.40 and 28.08 respectively across the 13 matches so far this year. The pace duo will also be hoping to finish positively against Lancashire next week.

The Opposition:

Lancashire have had a difficult red-ball campaign so far and currently occupy seventh place in Division One, facing relegation with a 19-point deficit between themselves and sixth-placed Nottinghamshire and a further three points to Yorkshire who sit fifth.

Liam Livingstone’s side have picked up just two wins from their 13 matches so far and need a victory at the The Ageas Bowl to stand any chance of survival.

Dane Vilas has been the most impressive with the bat this year for the visitors, totalling 765 runs at an average of 38.25, whilst Alex Davies has been the next-best contributor with 717 runs to his name at an average of 32.59. Graham Onions and Tom Bailey have been the standout performers by far with the ball, claiming 57 and 56 wickets respectively to find themselves first and second in the list of Division One wicket-takers.

Did You Know?

• James Vince and Joe Weatherley both struck superb centuries the last time these two sides met back in June.
• Kyle Abbott struck a career-best 97* with the bat against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2017.
• Kyle Abbott’s haul of 11-71 against Somerset two matches ago is the second-best match-figures of any bowler this season.

Full Hampshire Squad

Coverage:

Match updates will be available via the Hampshire Cricket social media channels, whilst ball-by-ball coverage and match highlights will be available at ageasbowl.com/cricket.

There will be ball-by-ball commentary available on BBC Radio Solent online at bbc.co.uk.

Weather Forecast:

Please follow the link for the latest weather forecast for the The Ageas Bowl: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcp185f25

Tickets:
Tickets for all four days of Hampshire’s match against Lancashire at the The Ageas Bowl can be purchased online via the link below, over the phone on 0844 847 1863, or by visiting the The Ageas Bowl’s Ticketing & Membership Office via normal working hours.

Phone: 0844 847 1863