On This Day: New Boy Tremlett Shows No Fear Against New Zealand

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

Hampshire (204 & 285) v New Zealand A (153 & 339-8) Tour Match, Portsmouth: 12-15 July 2000

On first glance this perhaps seemed an unimportant first-class match - especially in the first year of two divisional Championship cricket with Hampshire struggling in Division One.

The hosts arrived in Portsmouth to face a strong New Zealand ‘A’, a side which contained plenty of cricketing talent: captain Scott Styris, Mark Richardson, Jacob Oram, and Chris Martin.

Hampshire batted on day one but struggled, falling to 29-3 and later 116-6. Jason Laney with 49 and some support from Udal (31) and Mascarenhas 25, managed to get the score just past 200 with the left-arm opening bowler Lance Hamilton taking 4-49. He would a couple of ODIs for his country but nothing much more beyond domestic games.

James Marshall, twin brother of Hamish, opened the visitors’ reply and top-scored with 49 but his partner Richardson faced Chris Tremlett’s first ball at this level which bounced on him and he gloved it onto his thigh pad and from there into the hands of John Stephenson at short leg.

ECB regulations required Tremlett, still a couple of months short of 19th birthday to be used sparingly, but there was still time for him to take 4-16, while fellow new boy Iain Brunnschweiler held two catches.

Hampshire led by 51 runs and batting again Kendall scored 92 and Udal 85. ‘Brunchy’ held two more catches and Tremlett took two more wickets on the final day, but New Zealand ‘A’ reached 339-8 to win a close game.