Facing Essex in ECB 50-plus County Championship semi-finals has become the cricketing equivalent of Groundhog Day for Hampshire Seniors, who were beaten and outgunned for a third time, this time by eight wickets at the imposing Broxbourne ground.
Hampshire were invited to bat and immediately the Essex bowling attack started to dominate. Charlie Forward was trapped lbw early on and when Andy Giles (36) departed the Seniors had managed a modest 60 runs in 21 overs. Economy was the watchword as bowlers Tim Smith (1-14) and Mo Fayyaz (3-21) conceded a mere 35 runs off 18 overs from the pavilion end whilst snapping up the top four Seniors’ batsmen, including Darren McBride (23).
With only 86 runs registered after 30 overs, the pressure was mounting on the middle order to significantly up the run rate. Stu Shapland (19) was run out in a mix up with Matt Thankachan (31) who was then stumped. Useful contributions from Darren Vann (28) and Pete Hayward (21*) managed to take the total to 186 but at the interval break the odds were heavily stacked in favour of Essex
And so it proved. Essex run machine Giles Ecclestone (695 runs in 7 innings in the ECB competition this season, with an average of 173.75) started patiently.
Jamie Donaldson (8-2-28-1) produced a fine opening spell giving the Seniors a glimmer of hope when he had Felstead (22) well caught at slip by Forward. Meanwhile, left-hander Ecclestone was producing a display of batsmanship rarely seen at this level, but perhaps unsurprising considering his past record in Minor Counties Championship cricket for Cambridgeshire.
When Nick Gargaro had Adrian Grinonneau (33) caught in the deep by Andy Parratt, only another 44 runs was needed off 17 overs. Almost inevitably, Ecclestone (116*,inc 23 fours and two sixes) completed another ton as Essex cruised to victory with nearly 9 overs remaining. Ecclestone has now made eight hundreds this season, for his club side Saffron Walden and in Seniors' cricket.
Cruel though semi-final defeats can be, Hampshire enjoyed a decent season with positive results achieved against Devon, Sussex and Wales achieved, with the only losses coming against Dorset and now Essex, who will play Lancashire in the final at Kibworth on Sunday week, September 19.
Hampshire were invited to bat and immediately the Essex bowling attack started to dominate. Charlie Forward was trapped lbw early on and when Andy Giles (36) departed the Seniors had managed a modest 60 runs in 21 overs. Economy was the watchword as bowlers Tim Smith (1-14) and Mo Fayyaz (3-21) conceded a mere 35 runs off 18 overs from the pavilion end whilst snapping up the top four Seniors’ batsmen, including Darren McBride (23).
With only 86 runs registered after 30 overs, the pressure was mounting on the middle order to significantly up the run rate. Stu Shapland (19) was run out in a mix up with Matt Thankachan (31) who was then stumped. Useful contributions from Darren Vann (28) and Pete Hayward (21*) managed to take the total to 186 but at the interval break the odds were heavily stacked in favour of Essex
And so it proved. Essex run machine Giles Ecclestone (695 runs in 7 innings in the ECB competition this season, with an average of 173.75) started patiently.
Jamie Donaldson (8-2-28-1) produced a fine opening spell giving the Seniors a glimmer of hope when he had Felstead (22) well caught at slip by Forward. Meanwhile, left-hander Ecclestone was producing a display of batsmanship rarely seen at this level, but perhaps unsurprising considering his past record in Minor Counties Championship cricket for Cambridgeshire.
When Nick Gargaro had Adrian Grinonneau (33) caught in the deep by Andy Parratt, only another 44 runs was needed off 17 overs. Almost inevitably, Ecclestone (116*,inc 23 fours and two sixes) completed another ton as Essex cruised to victory with nearly 9 overs remaining. Ecclestone has now made eight hundreds this season, for his club side Saffron Walden and in Seniors' cricket.
Cruel though semi-final defeats can be, Hampshire enjoyed a decent season with positive results achieved against Devon, Sussex and Wales achieved, with the only losses coming against Dorset and now Essex, who will play Lancashire in the final at Kibworth on Sunday week, September 19.
