Centurions Neil Trestrail (left) and Andy Steggall, right, who shared a 235-run partnership.
Hampshire Seniors head into two national cup semi-finals in the coming days - an ECB 50-plus County Championship tie against Essex at Broxbourne tomorrow (Sunday) and a Sixties Vase showdown with neighbours Sussex at Sparsholt on Tuesday, 12.30.
It's the fourth time the 50s have reached the ECB semi's - Essex having beaten them on the past two occasions. They will start as favourites tomorrow, especially with Saffron Walden's Giles Ecclestone in amazing form. The opening bat has notched SEVEN hundreds this season and has raised his bat with 100-plus scores in each of Essex's last three games. Essex are led by Mel Hussein.
Hampshire are unchanged from the side that shocked Wales in the quarter-finals, with New Milton left-armer Nick Gargaro leading from the front.
Hampshire 50s: Nick Gargaro, Charles Forward, Andy Giles, Darren McBride, Andy Parratt, Stu Shapland, Darren Vann, Pete Hayward, Zane D'Monte, Jamie Donaldson, Matt Thankachan.
Attention switches to the slightly elder statemen, the Hampshire Sixties on Tuesday, with Lymington's Trestrail (128) and Sparsholt's Andy Steggall (124) in good nick after sharing a 60s record 235-run opening partnership against Bedfordshire in the quarter-finals, when Hampshire successfully defended 312-2 to win by 37 runs.
Admission to both matches is free, although spectators are advised to bring along a fold-up chair. The Daily Express is forecasting splendid weather.
It's the fourth time the 50s have reached the ECB semi's - Essex having beaten them on the past two occasions. They will start as favourites tomorrow, especially with Saffron Walden's Giles Ecclestone in amazing form. The opening bat has notched SEVEN hundreds this season and has raised his bat with 100-plus scores in each of Essex's last three games. Essex are led by Mel Hussein.
Hampshire are unchanged from the side that shocked Wales in the quarter-finals, with New Milton left-armer Nick Gargaro leading from the front.
Hampshire 50s: Nick Gargaro, Charles Forward, Andy Giles, Darren McBride, Andy Parratt, Stu Shapland, Darren Vann, Pete Hayward, Zane D'Monte, Jamie Donaldson, Matt Thankachan.
Attention switches to the slightly elder statemen, the Hampshire Sixties on Tuesday, with Lymington's Trestrail (128) and Sparsholt's Andy Steggall (124) in good nick after sharing a 60s record 235-run opening partnership against Bedfordshire in the quarter-finals, when Hampshire successfully defended 312-2 to win by 37 runs.
Admission to both matches is free, although spectators are advised to bring along a fold-up chair. The Daily Express is forecasting splendid weather.
