Caledonia Dreaming or Ian38018 Sporting Travels: Trent Bridge

Wednesday, 29 November 2023

Trent Bridge

Leicestershire Foxes v Hampshire

(Metro Bank One Day Cup Final)

16th September 2023

Taking my seat inside Trent Bridge fifteen minutes late after struggling to find a sensible parking spot, I was more than a little dismayed to discover Leicestershire had already lost both Rishi Patel and Sol Budinger for single figure scores. I had barely begun to warm my seat when I glanced up to witness Colin Ackermann tamely (almost deliberately looking) tap the ball straight into Fletcha Middleton's gleeful hands.

I could not believe it. I had just driven a kick-in-the-arse off 300 miles to lend my support (such as it is) to Leics in this One-Day Cup Final, and it appeared that three of the players didn't even have the good manners to wait for me.

Wiaan Mulder was soon back in the pavillion next, he failing to score a single run from the five balls he faced before he was out lbw. 19/4 Leicestershire were now. Just great!

Foxes skipper Lewis Hill - a chap for whom my respect has grown considerably over the seasons - had come in at number 3, and had steadied the listing ship a touch helping to inch his side onto 89/5. But the anguish on Hill's face staring to the skies, when he was caught having scored 42, made it clear even he felt the game was probably gone at this point.

But then, of course, came the first chapter of the fairy-story, as Harry Swindells, playing his first One-Day match of the season, came to the crease and refused to be moved. For just over a hundred minutes he hit his way to an unbeaten 117, including eight 4s and three 6s. When Leics allotted 50 overs were completed they had reached an, at one point utterly fantasyland figure of 267. Hardly a definitive match-winning tally, but certainly something which could realistically be defended. A little word here for Sam Evans whose own 60 contributed in no small way to the Foxes total.

Hampshire, who were the opponents (did I mention them?), made a decent start to their chase, but soon lost Nick Gubbins and Fletcha Middleton. Tom Prest made a bit of a nuisance of himself, and when he was caught and bowled by Josh Hull, Hants had moved onto 136.

Folks around me were talking about an inevitable procession from there on in, but Hampshire just seemed to deliberately slow their run rate down, and the two lines on that Cricinfo Worm chart inexorable drifted together as their innings wore on. Mind you, the Cricinfo Run Rate chart had Hants outscoring Leics throughout the whole of their innings, so how that works I do not know.

The experienced Liam Dawson next entered the fray with his side requiring a further 132 from 23 overs. Dawson clearly decided he was going run down that target almost single-handedly, if he could. He swiftly brought up his half century, and we entered that silly, silly final over with Hampshire needing just eight runs to win, with Leics eighteen-year old Josh Hull chosen to bowl the final six balls.

He limited Dawson, and his mate Keith Barker to singles off the first three balls. But with the third last ball of the match Dawson, clearly looking to finish the match with a flourish, went for a reverse sweep. But he undercooked it, and the ball went straight to Chris Wright. Arrogance, Stupidity, Complacency? Who knows? Whatever - that shot effectively lost his side the final.

Hull yielded up just a single run from each of his final two balls, as Leicestershire won by 2 runs. Or, and as a Leicestershire supporter, I suppose I can say this: Hampshire lost by 2 runs.

Trent Bridge cricket ground from A60

Panorama of Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

Awaiting the outcome of Wiaan Mulder's appeal against lbw.
It did not end well for the South African.

Keith Barker (I think this is) to Louis Kimber

This looked initially a rare example of cricket supporters' fraternity.
But I noted later the Hampshire one had disappeared.
Perhaps this had been designated as a Foxes' supporters only stand.