Hampshire’s most memorable one-day games at the United Services ground in Portsmouth

This month marks the 20-year anniversary of Hampshire’s final cricketing appearances at the United Services ground in Portsmouth.
Trevor Jesty scored the highest ever one-day innings at Burnaby Road against Surrey in 1983Trevor Jesty scored the highest ever one-day innings at Burnaby Road against Surrey in 1983
Trevor Jesty scored the highest ever one-day innings at Burnaby Road against Surrey in 1983

In July 2000 they lost to Kent in the final Championship game at Burnaby Road, followed by a Sunday League defeat against Middlesex. The latter was the 54th and final one-day game in the city.

Here, two decades on, The News looks back at some of the most memorable limited-overs games to take place in Portsmouth.

v Essex

Gordon Greenidge helped Trevor Jesty put on a double century stand in a John Player Sunday League game in Portsmouth in 1983.Gordon Greenidge helped Trevor Jesty put on a double century stand in a John Player Sunday League game in Portsmouth in 1983.
Gordon Greenidge helped Trevor Jesty put on a double century stand in a John Player Sunday League game in Portsmouth in 1983.

August 1969

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A large crowd packed into Burnaby Road to see title-chasing Hampshire suffer defeat in the first season of the John Player Sunday League.

Keith Fletcher hit 74 as the visitors totalled 195 off their 40 overs.

Barry Richards (65) and Barry Reed (39) put on 93 for the first wicket in reply, but Hampshire crashed from 108-1 to 153 all out.

Robin Smith scored a century against Sussex in 1993 when Hampshire rattled up their highest-ever List A total in Portsmouth. Picture: Hamish Blair/ALLSPORTRobin Smith scored a century against Sussex in 1993 when Hampshire rattled up their highest-ever List A total in Portsmouth. Picture: Hamish Blair/ALLSPORT
Robin Smith scored a century against Sussex in 1993 when Hampshire rattled up their highest-ever List A total in Portsmouth. Picture: Hamish Blair/ALLSPORT

Stuart Turner bagged 4-14 and John Lever 2-21.

It was a costly loss as Hampshire eventually finished second, just a point behind inaugural champions Lancashire.

v Nottinghamshire

June 1971

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Hampshire survived a great bowling spell by the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers to win a tense Gillette Cup second round tie by three wickets.

Notts crawled to 129-9 off 60 overs - of which 15 were maidens. One-day cricket was a lot different back then!

Butch White (3-32) and Trevor Jesty (3-36) were the main wicket-takers while Bob Cottam recorded figures of 12-6-10-2.

In reply, Sobers reduced Hampshire to 6-3 with the wickets of Barry Richards (0), Gordon Greenidge (4) and David Turner (2).

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But Peter Sainsbury (32) and Roy Marshall (31) provided middle order runs as the hosts won on 130-7 - but it took them 55 overs to do it.

Sobers finished with figures of 12-6-11-4.

v Northants

July 1972

Ray Bailey recorded the best one-day figures at Burnaby Road in a rain-reduced John Player League encounter.

In a match reduced to 19 overs instead of 40, the visitors posted 110-6.

Bailey then bagged 6-22 in eight overs as Hampshire were reduced to 37-5 before eventually ending adrift on 86-8.

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Only two batsmen made double figures - No 7 Trevor Jesty (24no) and No 8 Graham Stevenson (15).

v Minor Counties South

May 1974

Hampshire romped to victory in the only Benson & Hedges Cup tie ever held in Portsmouth.

Trevor Jesty (75 not out) and Barry Richards (67) helped Hampshire total 248-8 off their 50 overs against the amateurs.

In reply, Andy Roberts took 4-25 as the Minor Counties were routed for 99. Richards, who only ever took seven List A wickets in 233 games, returned career best figures of 2-8.

v Yorkshire

August 1978

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Gordon Greenidge lashed a century as Hampshire took another step towards an eventual John Player Sunday League title.

The West Indian struck 116 in a total of 216-4 in a game reduced to 34 overs a side. The next highest innings was Trevor Jesty’s 33 not out.

Mike Taylor bagged 4-36 in reply as Yorkshire were dismissed for 130, of which captain Geoff Boycott hit 40.

Hampshire finished as one of three teams on 48 points along with Leicestershire and Somerset, but won the silverware due to a superior run rate.

v Glamorgan

July 1979

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Only four players ever claimed a five-wicket haul in a one-day game at Burnaby Road.

Two of them achieved the feat in this game - and they were both from Barbados!

First, Tony Cordle took 5-24 as Hampshire posted 179-9 off their 40 overs in a John Player League game.

Malcolm Marshall then ripped through the visitors’ top order, dismissing openers Alan Jones and John Hopkins for ducks and No 3 Rodney Ontong for a single.

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A middle order recovery saw the Welsh county end just 13 runs short on 167-6, with Marshall having bagged 5-13 from eight overs on only his second appearance at the ground.

v Surrey

July 1983

Trevor Jesty and Gordon Greenidge shared a stunning partnership as Hampshire thrashed Surrey in a John Player League game.

Jesty (166 no) outshone West Indian legend (108 no) in an unbroken second wicket stand of 269.

That remained the highest stand for any List A wicket on the ground and helped Hampshire total 292-1 off their 40 overs.

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Nigel Cowley bagged 4-42 in reply as Surrey were restricted to 188-5 in reply.

Jesty’s innings set a new Hampshire record in the 40-over league, eclipsing Greenidge’s 163 not out against Warwickshire four years earlier.

Greenidge wrestled the record back in 1987 with a stunning 172 against Surrey at Southampton’s County Ground.

Jesty’s knock remains the eighth highest innings in Hampshire’s one-day history, and the second highest in 40-over cricket.

v Warwickshire

July 1986

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Robin Smith and Malcolm Marshall helped Hampshire take another step towards the John Player Sunday League title.

The pair shared an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 60 after the hosts had lost three quick wickets chasing 153 for victory.

Smith (58 not out) and Marshall (39 not out) gave Hampshire victory with over four overs in hand.

Tim Tremlett (3-16 off 7.5 overs) had been Hampshire’s leading wicket-taker as the visitors were bowled out for 152.

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The hosts dipped to 15-3 with Gladstone Small dismissing Paul Terry and Mark Nicholas, while Chris Smith was run out.

v Derbyshire

July 1990

Cardigan Connor and Jan-Paul Bakker shared seven wickets as Derbyshire recorded the lowest ever one-day score at Burnaby Road.

Replying to the hosts’ 250-5 in a 38-over Refuge Assurance League game, the east midlands county were shot out for 61.

Malcolm Marshall only conceded four runs off his four-over spell, before Connor (4-11 off 5.1 overs) and Bakker (3-31) got to work.

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Hampshire only took nine wickets as ex-England Test all-rounder Geoff Miller was absent hurt.

v Sussex

August 1993

A remarkable game including three centuries saw Hampshire both concede and score their highest-ever one-day totals at Burnaby Road.

Alan Wells blasted 127 as Sussex rattled up 312-8 off 50 overs in the Axa Equity & Law League.

But that still wasn’t enough as Robin Smith (129) and Paul Terry (124 no) enabled Hampshire to win by eight wickets off the penultimate ball.

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The pair added 235 for the second wicket after opener Julian Wood had fallen cheaply.

v Durham

August 1994

Hampshire’s only ever 10-wicket hammering in the Sunday League was administered by Durham at Burnaby Road.

The hosts posted 217-6 with Adrian Aymes (54) and skipper Mark Nicholas (45) top scoring.

Ex-England Test batsman Wayne Larkins and opening partner Jon Longley then shared an unbroken 220-run opening stand.

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Larkins, then 41, rolled back the years to blast 131 not out with Longley (72 not out) playing the supporting role.

It was not a record one-day opening stand against Hampshire; the previous year Sussex pair Bill Athey and David Smith had put on 248 in a NatWest Trophy tie at Hove.

v Middlesex

July 2000

Hampshire suffered a four-wicket loss in the last List A match ever to take place in Portsmouth.

The defeat was their seventh in their last eight one-day games at Burnaby Road, and the other match was rained off!

Skipper Robin Smith top scored with 42 as Hampshire posted 190-9 in 45 overs.

In reply, Mike Roseberry (54) and Mark Ramprakash (46) guided Middlesex to victory with four balls remaining.