On This Day: Tremlett & Bruce Seal Unlikely Championship Win

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

Hampshire (185 & 449) v Glamorgan (437 & 104) , County Championship, The Rose Bowl: 17 July 2003

Hampshire started this match on 15 July in some disarray. They had started the season losing their suspended captain Shane Warne and by mid-July their two international signings Wasim Akram and Ed Giddins had retired. Shaun Udal was injured and out-of-form Will Kendall was omitted, so their side looked unfamiliar with Havant’s off-spinner Richard Hindley drafted in for what would be his only Championship match.

He joined a young attack alongside Tremlett, Tomlinson, and Bruce, exposed on the first day by centuries from Dale and Maynard in a total of 437, while on the second no Hampshire batsman reached 30 as they followed-on 252 behind. That night they were already 114-4 with Kenway, Adams, Crawley and Katich to the day’s last ball gone. Defeat on the third day (17^th) seemed inevitable.

Instead Nic Pothas, struggling with a hamstring injury, led the way with 121, John Francis added 40, and ‘Dimi’ Mascarenhas 75 as Hampshire pulled themselves beyond the Glamorgan score with five down. They were already 91 ahead when the sixth wicket fell, as Hindley, having taken no wickets and been dismissed for eight, then set to the challenge; struck on the hand which broke two fingers and ended his season he battled nonetheless adding 51 before Pothas went, then 26 with Tremlett and a further 29 before the final wicket fell at 449. Hindley finished 68*, (leaving him to this day with a career average of 76!)

Glamorgan, hugely frustrated needed 198 to win but in less than 12 overs that night lost three wickets for 33 runs and the following morning could not withstand Tremlett’s best bowling performance of 6-51. Glamorgan’s highest scorer was Kasprowicz with 14 at number ten, by which time the contest was over, and when he edged ‘Dimi’ to Katich in the gully Hampshire had won by 93 runs – the third and (so far) last occasion on which they won after following-on.