Option One: Barker bowls Steven Davies in the first session of the season
First game of the season, first session of the season, and Hampshire found themselves well on top.
Somerset were 46-4, with wickets shared between Mohammad Abbas, Kyle Abbott, and Ian Holland.
But it was Keith Barker’s first wicket that made eyes focused on the goings-on The Ageas Bowl.
Barker, bowling over the wicket, pitched the ball on a length, a foot outside off.
Davies shouldered arms, expecting the ball to safely fly through to Ben Brown.
But as we know, that was very much not the case.
The ball seamed back in and the Somerset ‘keeper’s off stump went cartwheeling backwards in true Simon Jones bowling Michael Clarke fashion.
Option Two: Barker takes 6-27 as Somerset are bowled out for 69
A trip to Taunton is never easy, but the Rose and Crown were confident, having won three of their opening five matches.
Relatively low scoring first digs from both sides, where Barker was wicketless in the opening innings, meant that the match was poised for a close showdown.
Putting the zero in his wickets column behind him, Barker picked up his first wicket in just his fourth over, as he pinned Matt Renshaw lbw for 11, as he then ran riot around the Somerset batting line-up.
Next to fall was Abell, caught behind for a couple as he feathered one to Brown down the leg side.
Barker then followed it up with two in an over, as he first bowled Hildreth with a searing in-swinging yorker, before he produced the same ball to Lewis Gregory who got his pads in the way, but the umpire raised the finger, and the home side found themselves at 25-6.
The all-rounder then picked up his fifth wicket, bowling Craig Overton with another in-swinger from round the wicket, asking the crowd ‘are you not entertained?’ in celebration.
His sixth rounded off the innings, as Josh Davey left a ball that cannoned into his off stump, and Somerset were bowled out for 69, with Hampshire requiring just the one run for victory, which Felix Organ dealt with after just four balls of the final innings.
Option Three: Barker gives Tawanda Muyeye out lbw himself
Arguably the highlight in what was a game Hampshire fans would prefer to forget.
The penultimate game of the season, and Hampshire needed to win in order to challenge Surrey for the title.
James Vince won the toss, and elected to bowl first in typical mid-September conditions.
He was rewarded almost instantly, as Barker struck in the first over of the game.
Starting from round the wicket to Muyeye, he angled the ball in to the right hander, but nipping the ball away at the last second.
He enticed the Kent opener into a drive off the fourth ball, before he trapped him with the fifth.
On a length, but this time carrying straight on. Muyeye shouldered arms, and he was hit bang in front of off stump.
Not waiting for the umpire to give his decision, Barker took matters into his own hands, and raised his finger, and Muyeye had to walk back to the pavilion, as the umpire completed the formality.
Option Four: Barker takes 6-53 at Canterbury as Hampshire win by an innings and 51 runs
Canterbury 2022 – a run fest.
Over 1,000 runs were scored in the first game of the season at Kent’s home ground, as Lancashire racked up 506 in their first innings, before over 1,300 were scored when Gloucestershire went to visit the south eastern county.
But it was Hampshire, and Keith Barker, who battled through, to seal victory by an innings and 51 runs in their third match of the season.
After a slow start, Barker made his mark by beating the defences of Ben Compton for 27 – the left hander having previously made scores of 129, 104*, and 115.
Muyeye was next, as Ben Brown took a diving catch down the leg side, but wickets wouldn’t come easy for Hampshire.
Barker had to wait until the second new ball to strike with his third wicket when Ollie Robinson fished at a ball outside off, before Matt Milnes pushed at a one, Liam Dawson taking a low catch at second slip.
The all-rounder picked up his fifth wicket as the evergreen Darren Stevens feathered a back of a length ball through to Brown, and Barker completed his six wicket haul when Nathan Gilchrist fell to the same fate looking to defend off the back foot.
Kent were bowled out for 305 in their first innings, before Hampshire piled on the runs, and a Kyle Abbott five-for completed proceedings.
Option Five: Barker scores a run-a-ball 52 in a low scoring match at Scarborough
Low scoring matches quite often make for the most entertaining contests, and Hampshire’s match against Yorkshire at the seaside was no different.
With the ball, Barker struck with his fifth ball when he trapped George Hill for a golden duck, but it was his batting that proved to be crucial, as Hampshire secured a seven wicket win on the fourth day.
Having bowled the White Rose out for 159, Kyle Abbott taking 6-36, Hampshire found themselves struggling at 52-5, and 72-6.
Enter Keith Barker and Ben Brown.
The pair put on a much needed 88 as Hampshire edged into a lead.
Barker showcased his all-round skills, with a flurry of flicks off his legs, and some sublime drives back past the bowlers, saving his legs on the vast majority of his strokes.
Who needs to run when you hit them as hard as Keith Barker?
The cherry on top of the Barker cake was a checked drive for six, straight over Ben Coad’s head and into Peasholme Park, as Barker raised his bat for his half-century.
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Voting closes at 11:59pm Sunday, with the winning moment being announced on Monday 14th November.
