Rossouw end his Ageasbarren run with century

RILEE ROSSOUW ended his Ageas Bowl hoodoo by scoring his first home century for Hampshire as they beat Essex Eagles by six wickets in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
Rilee Rossouw on the way to his century today.  Picture: Neil Marshall.Rilee Rossouw on the way to his century today.  Picture: Neil Marshall.
Rilee Rossouw on the way to his century today. Picture: Neil Marshall.

Batsman Rossouw scored 99 on his debut for Hampshire and 90 during Monday night’s victory over Surrey, but his only hundred had come on the road, at Somerset last year.

But he collected 111 against the Eagles to send Hampshire top of the south group as they kept up their 100-per-cent record in the competition.

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The South African did have one minor scare on his way to three figures when he required medical attention after diving into the crease while taking a quick single on 92, but composed himself after a ten minute delay to reach the milestone.

Batsman Jimmy Adams saluted Rossouw’s quality, although there was some light-hearted ribbing over his injury.

Adams said: ‘Rilee played a hell of a knock, the partnership with JV (James Vince) broke the back of the game and it just needed us in the middle order to see it through.

‘Rilee scored a very deserved hundred and it is a shame he wasn’t there at the end as he deserved to be.

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‘Hopefully he will be okay. I would like to give him stick about being a prima donna but I would hate for him to wake up tomorrow with the wrist the size of a balloon.

‘He showed real class. We saw signs of it last year and the last two knocks have been outstanding.

‘We have some quality batsmen at the top of the order and they showed how hard they are to bowl at. They hit good balls for four and they ran so well. When you combine those things then you don’t know in the field whether to stick or twist.

‘It has been a good start in a competition we have been poor in the last couple of years.

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‘Hopefully we can keep winning game but it is still a long way to go.’

Hampshire, who had lost five of their last six List A matches against Essex, had been set 304 to win after Adam Wheater, Tom Westley, Ravi Bopara and Ashar Zaidi had all plundered half centuries.

Sam Cook managed to strike early to dismiss Hashim Amla, but Rossouw and Vince comfortably complied no-risk runs as the pitch flattened. Both scored half centuries, Rossouw in an uncharacteristically restrained 62 balls while Vince only needed 41 balls, in a stand of 126 of the second wicket.

Vince tickled behind to end on 66 and Joe Weatherley was bowled, both by Ravi Bopara, however Rossouw, who passed his 5,000 List A run, wasn’t to be denied.

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He was eventually bowled by Bopara, who ended with figures of three for 49, but Jimmy Adams, striking an effortless run-a-ball 51, and Brad Taylor scored the remaining 51 runs for Hampshire.

- by ALEX SMITH