I hzad an excellent day at the May's Bounty ground at Basingstoke for Hants v Yorks today.
I was there as a neutral, the weather was lovely, and after an overcast start (I'm not certain who won the toss), Hants made a good start but then collapsed in the face of dogged Yorks bowling with Ajmal Shazad the pick of the attack with four wickets. Matthew Hoggard took an unbelievable caught & bowled to remove Sean Ervine.
The run rate was never above three an over yet Yorks maintained attacking fields throughout with plenty of slips and no third man. It was good hard cricket, compelling to watch, the whole outcome of a four day contest already building in fascinating fashion with just a quarter of it having elapsed so far - the total opposite to what excites the limited-overs vulgarians.
I was there as a neutral, the weather was lovely, and after an overcast start (I'm not certain who won the toss), Hants made a good start but then collapsed in the face of dogged Yorks bowling with Ajmal Shazad the pick of the attack with four wickets. Matthew Hoggard took an unbelievable caught & bowled to remove Sean Ervine.
The run rate was never above three an over yet Yorks maintained attacking fields throughout with plenty of slips and no third man. It was good hard cricket, compelling to watch, the whole outcome of a four day contest already building in fascinating fashion with just a quarter of it having elapsed so far - the total opposite to what excites the limited-overs vulgarians.