On This Day: Alan Wassell Creates Hampshire History

Hampshire Cricket's historian Dave Allen takes a look back on timely memorable moments in his ‘On This Day’ series.

Hampshire (359 & 195-3 dec) v Surrey (265 & 231) , County Championship, Bournemouth: 19 July 1961

Through the 1950s Surrey won seven consecutive Championship titles but Yorkshire had led the way with last two and now Hampshire were pushing towards their first Crown. They had beaten Surrey at the Oval earlier in the season, slightly fortunate to avoid following-on under a new regulation, but in this match, the second of a week by the seaside they dominated throughout, winning an important victory on the ground where they would clinch the title six weeks later.

Hampshire batted first with Marshall (47) dominating an opening partnership of 70 with Jimmy Gray who then shared a partnership of 116 with Henry Horton (63). Gray fell to Gibson for 91, Livingstone went cheaply and Sainsbury for 40, but from 277-6, Ingleby-Mackenzie (57*) and Leo Harrison (30*) added an undefeated 82 and the captain, having passed 1,000 runs for the season, declared overnight on 359-6.

On the following two days Hampshire dismissed Surrey for 265 with Alan Wassell returning the remarkable figures of 56-28-76-5. Hampshire then posted 195-3 declared in 44 overs with half-centuries for Marshall, Gray and Horton, challenging Surrrey to score 290 to win in four hours. They bowled them out for 231, taking 14 important points and Wassell adding 37 overs and three balls with figures of 7-87. That took his match figures to 93.3 overs, and 12-163, while overall he bowled 561 balls in the match, still the highest number in the county’s history.