The Main Oval, Hampshire Rose Bowl, Southampton 28,29,30 July 2001 (3-day match) :

Umpires: JF Steele and RA White

Result: Hampshire won by 2 wickets - Match Report -

Toss: Hampshire (Put Australia in to bat)

First Day Report :

Australia Plan Backfires

Australia's decision to go into their latest Vodofone Challenge Series against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl has backfired in dramatic fashion today. The visitors had decided to go into the match with only four recognised batsmen and have paid the price.

Matthew Hayden was the first to go when rookie James Scholfield had him caught with his very first ball in first class cricket, and what a scalp to take at the start of a promising career. It didn't get any better for the Australian's, out of form Justin Langer falling for 2 when the total was on 10 in Schofield's third over. This appears to have marked the end to any hopes Langer had in making the team for the third Test match at Trent Bridge.

Wickets fell at regular intervals and before they knew what had hit them, the four recognised batsmen were all back in the pavilion and the total sitting precariously on 20.

Despite a cavalier innings by Brett Lee (22) and a steady innings of 28 by Noffke, the Australians fell 3 short of the 100 mark on the stroke of lunch. Mullally, pushing for a Test place himself, finished with yet another 5 wicket haul (5 for 18). The Hampshire man is in a rich vein of form this season is averaging 6 wicket's in a match; and after meeting England captain Nasser Hussain earlier in the week must be wondering what he has to do to get a recall.

Hampshire after a poor start, loosing White and Kendall both without scoring to Brett Lee have recovered well. Robin Smith and Derek Kenway sharing in a century partnership guided the home side past Australia's low first innings total. It was left to ex Hampshire Shane Warne to make a well-needed breakthrough when he had Kenway caught by Steve Waugh for 70.

Smith and Johnson continued to torment the Australian's in the final session of the day, and remained firmly fixed out in the middle at the close of play with a healthy lead of 141.

There is now no possibility of Steve Waugh maintaining his 100% record on tour after a depressing and inept performance today. Following a poor selection policy and poor shot selection, the Australian's have only themselves to blame for the situation they now find themselves in.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but with the captain on 79 and Neil Johnson on 64, Australia's 7, yes 7 front line bowlers will struggle to make inroads into the Hampshire offensive team.

Second Day Report :

Smith Century but Australia fight back

Hampshire continued to pile on the pressure at the Rose bowl today, the second of three days against the Australian's, still reeling from yesterday's embarrassing batting collapse.

Robin Smith and Zimbabwe international Neil Johnson put on 182 for the fourth wicket, before Johnson played on off Jason Gillespie's bowling for 88. Gillespie then had Lawrence Prittipaul caught behind for ten.

Smith was the next wicket to fall, seven runs later on the final ball before lunch, the Hampshire skipper loosing concentration and Ashley Noffke picking up a leg-before decision. It was Smith's third century of the season and his 59th first class hundred, his 4th against an Australian team and 47th for Hampshire. His 277 ball innings lasted a mammoth 356 minutes and included 15 4's.

Funky Miller and Ashley Noffke teamed up to dismiss the final four batsmen for only 15 runs, the last six wickets falling for only 33 runs, a much better bowling performance than yesterday's for the tourists. Noffke finished with figures of 3 for 66, both Lee and Miller picked up 2 wickets each but it was a disappointing performance given that they ahd gone into the match bottom heavy.

Trailing by over 250 runs, Langer and Hayden got the tourists off to a good start, even if Langer was fortunate not to go early on. The first wicket fell with the score on 72, Langer the only Australian wicket to fall on the second day dominated by Matthew
Hayden.

Langer who had earlier survived a scare, edged a ball to Derek Kenway at first slip who accepted the ball at the second attempt, Langer went for 30 and has certainly not done enough to secure a Test place on Thursday.

The visitors looked a different side to the one that took to the field early yesterday morning, truly looking the part of an all-conquering side. Hayden, a former Hampshire player was at his comfortable best, twice hitting Mullally for fours to bring up his fifty
and Shaggy Udal was also on the receiving end with two sixes against his bowling. Hayden ended the day 8 runs short of a well-deserved century. Katich and Hayden put on an undefeated century partnership, ending the day 1 short of his half century, a welcome return to form after a couple of failures for the Aussie batsman. Thanks to the aggressive batting, Hampshire's lead has now been reduced to only 81, and with 9 second innings wickets still standing, the game is evenly balanced.

Robin Smith who had earlier scored his 59th century of his career said,

"It was great to get another hundred against Australia at this stage in my career and some of the bowling from Brett Lee and Jason Gillsepie was as good as anything I've every faced.

"I can see why the England batsmen have struggled when you consider that Glenn McGrath was rested. But I think the selectors have been silly in leaving Alan Mullally out of the squad."

Third Day Report :

Hampshire win thriller

Before today, Hampshire had only beaten an Australia side once, way back in 1912. However the record changed due to a generous declaration by Australia captain Steve Waugh when he set Hampshire 133 runs in a minimum of 26 overs.

Matthew Hayden continued to punish the Hampshire bowling and together with Simon Katich, the pair slowly reeled in Hampshire's first innings lead. The visitor's were always up against it and after Hayden and Katich had departed, the former eight runs short of a
deserved 150, they looked as if they would struggle to ask Hampshire to bat again.

However a ninth wicket partnership between Noffke and Gillespie set up an exciting finish, and when Noffke's wicket fell, Steve Waugh declared leaving Smith's team a highly reachable target of 133.

Wickets fell steadily, Brett Lee taking the first two, and slowly but surely the home side eat into the required target. Shane Warne bowled well in his five overs and took four wickets and with it the match swung back in Australia's favour. With nine balls remaining
Brunnschweiler hit Funky Miller down the leg side for a boundary and Hampshire won by two wickets.

Hampshire were plagued by injuries, all three occurring during the match, Mullally and Smith with rib injuries and Mascarenhas suffered a hamstring injury. Hampshire did well to restrict the visitors given the lack of available first choice bowlers, but the team
rallied and held together under great pressure.

Hampshire captain Robin Smith said: "Steve's declaration made a game of it. We went for the runs from the start and it was a great finish."

Warne, who finished with four for 31, said: "Hampshire bowled very well considering the players they had missing. It was a tight finish but they kept their nerve. They were on top for two days so I suppose there was some justice in them winning."