Weatherley insists Hampshire need to build early momentum in shortened T20 Blast campaign

Joe Weatherley insists Hampshire need to hit the ground running when they lift the curtain on a shortened T20 Blast season tomorrow.
Joe Weatherley in Bob Willis Trophy action against Middlesex. The county's focus now turns to the T20 Blast. Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images.Joe Weatherley in Bob Willis Trophy action against Middlesex. The county's focus now turns to the T20 Blast. Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images.
Joe Weatherley in Bob Willis Trophy action against Middlesex. The county's focus now turns to the T20 Blast. Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images.

Instead of the usual 14 group matches, counties are only playing 10 this year.

And due to The Ageas Bowl hosting England internationals, Hampshire have to play their opening four South group ties away.

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A visit to Kent is followed by trips to Sussex (Sunday, Aug 30), Essex (Tuesday, Sept 1) and Surrey (Thursday, Sept 3).

After the Blast then breaks for the last round of Bob Willis Trophy fixtures, Hampshire return to The Ageas Bowl for the first time in 2020 against Sussex (Thursday, Sept 10).

The final group game takes place on September 20 with the four quarter finals scheduled for Thursday, October 1.

The finals day takes place at Edgbaston two days later, with the hope that by then some fans will be allowed into the Birmingham ground.

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‘It is a competition where you need to pick up momentum with early wins, especially with it not being as long as the normal Blast,’ said Weatherley.

‘Starting well will be really important - the games come thick and fast every other day - and we can pick up some momentum that way.’

When the county season was allowed to start on August 1, Hampshire promptly lost their opening Willis Trophy tie inside three days at Hove.

But a side shorn of most of their international standard players bounced back well with wins against Middlesex and Surrey before the Essex match at Arundel was mainly washed out.

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‘Take the first Sussex game away from this season and we have performed really well,’ said Weatherley, who has played in all four first class games.

‘Off the back of two wins we were hoping to get a positive result in the Essex game.

‘We are quite confident and playing some good cricket and yes, it is a change in format but it is one we are looking forward to.’

Regarding having to play their first four Blast games away, Weatherley said: ‘We haven’t got a training base throughout this summer, even between games, which isn’t easy.

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‘We have to be adaptable and we have done well thus far, and T20 is no different.

‘We are going to play away early on but we play at these grounds every year so we know them.

‘If anything at the back end of the competition we will be able to capitalise on the home games and use the Ageas as a bit of a fortress.’

Weatherley is one of many players aiming to stake a claim for a regular T20 spot with the county’s big names unavailable for a variety of reasons.

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He has only played 11 T20 games for Hampshire, while youngsters Felix Organ and Harry Came - also Willis Trophy regulars - haven’t played a single one.

Ian Holland has only appeared in four T20 Blast matches, while pace bowlers Ryan Stevenson (12) and Brad Wheal (7) have only a bit more experience.

Wheal has not played a Blast game since 2017, while Stevenson has only played once in 2019.

‘There might be a few different and new names playing,’ said Weatherley.

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‘I am enjoying being back on the park after the ankle injury and then Covid. It is great to be playing some cricket and I’m really enjoying it.

‘We’ve had a challenging couple of years in T20 and this is a proper competition with 10 games so there are chances for everyone, including myself, to stake a claim for next year.’

England all-rounder Liam Dawson is definitely out of the whole Blast campaign after suffering an Achilles injury while batting in the Trophy tie at Radlett.

James Vince - Hampshire’s T20 talisman - is also expected to miss matches through the impending birth of his second child.

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That is the biggest blow of all for the county, as Vince last year set a new record for most T20 runs scored in a calendar year by an English-qualified batsman.

He struck 1,390 runs in 48 games for Hampshire, England, Auckland, Multan Sultans, Paarl Rocks and Sydney Sixers.

The next highest is Alex Hales’ 1,282 runs, also from 48 games and also in 2019.

Vince also holds the record for the most T20 Blast runs in a single year - 710 in 2015.

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He was also third highest in 2017, with 542, and yet again was Hampshire’s leading scorer in 2019 with 407 runs at 40.70.

Only five English-qualified players have ever scored more T20 runs than Vince’s 5,740 - Luke Wright, Ravi Bopara, Hales, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler. And of those, only Buttler (30.43) has a better average than Vince (30.37) - helped by 44 not outs compared to Vince’s 22.

‘It is a shame not to have Vincey or Daws,’ said Weatherley. ‘They are two massive players no matter the format, but especially T20.

‘In the past we have had such a good record and those two have been a big part of that.

‘Hopefully we will get Vincey back for some part of the competition and he’ll give us a big boost.’

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