Matches (10)
IPL (2)
Women's Tri-Series (SL) (1)
County DIV1 (3)
County DIV2 (4)
RESULT
Group 2, Southampton, May 19 - 22, 2021, County Championship
233 & forfeit
(T:150) 84 & 26/1

Match drawn

Report

Fans' return washed out after lunch as Hampshire reach 53 for 1 against Leicestershire

Gates open to 1,300 Hampshire members as rain curtails opening day at Southampton

Fans enjoy a return to the stands, LV=Insurance County Championship, Hampshire vs Leicestershire, Ageas Bowl,  May 19, 2021

Rain curtailed fans' return to the Ageas Bowl to watch Hampshire face Leicestershire  •  Getty Images

Hampshire 53 for 1 (Holland 24*, Wright 1-13) vs Leicestershire
A torrential downpour after lunch saw play abandoned on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship clash between Hampshire and Leicestershire at the Ageas Bowl.
Hampshire were 53 for 1 when the decision was taken to call off play for the day due to a saturated outfield after an early tea had been taken, with Ian Holland unbeaten on 24 and Tom Alsop 15 not out in front of 1,300 Hampshire members.
The start of the match, which is the first first-class game in England to host paying spectators since September 2019, was delayed due to soggy ground on the bowlers' run-ups, with visiting skipper Colin Ackermann winning the toss and choosing to field before play got underway at noon.
Chris Wright and Alex Evans bowled well without luck before the struggling Joe Weatherley edged a decent delivery from Wright to Ackermann at slip for 11.
The former England U-19 captain has endured a tough season at the top of the order where he averages 15.81 from his last 11 innings and remains the only player in Hampshire's top-six not to post a half-century this season.
Holland should have followed his opening partner back to the pavilion when Wright tempted him with a wide delivery only for Rishi Patel to put the chance down just before lunch.
Alsop and Holland put on 33 runs for the second wicket before play was abandoned at 4pm.
"It's been a long time without a crowd and it did feel a bit different but really nice as well," Holland said. "It's great to have the supporters back and really important we get back to feeling quite normal out there.
"It's quite tough batting out there, we just need to get as many runs as we can and hopefully we can bowl well and see how the game progresses."
Ackermann lamented the missed opportunity to get Holland out.
"If we are being highly critical we would have liked maybe another two wickets, although we did create that chance that went down," he said. "We bowled well enough to pick up three wickets for the session. It is doing a bit when the ball is in the right area so moving into tomorrow we just need to control the scoreboard."

AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
LEICS Innings
<1 / 3>

County Championship

Division 1
TeamMWLDPT
WAR421177
LAN421173.5
NOT431073
HAM421161.5
YOR412144.5
SOM404032.5
Division 2
TeamMWLDPT
ESS430196
GLO431076
DUR311144
NOR412154
SUR301240
GLA403134.5
Division 3
TeamMWLDPT
KEN440094
MID431080
WOR422067.5
LEI412154.5
DER412151.5
SUS404030
Group 1
TeamMWLDPT
NOT10424151
WAR10415145
DUR10325132
ESS10325129
WOR10136109
DER1005572
Group 2
TeamMWLDPT
SOM10415148
HAM10424145
GLO10532131
SUR10226123
LEI10244111
MID1027184
Group 3
TeamMWLDPT
LAN10415150
YOR10514149
GLA10226127
NOR10334123
KEN1003797
SUS1015494