Gloucestershire beat Hampshire by 85 runs in the Winelands Tournament

There are some glum faces around the Hampshire camp here at Boland Park, Paarl as another abject batting performance has led to another ignominous defeat. Gloucestershire chosing to bat first took advantage of a good dry wicket, and good light to post the highest score of the tourney.

Hancock and veteran Kim Barnett posted 66 runs against a seam attack laking penatration on the slow wicket, and it was not until spinners Udal and Shah came on that inroads were made.

Irfin Shah impressed with his spin taking two wickets, and Udal bowled a tidy spell.

Robin Smith out for a second ball duck yesterday, followed up with another zero, as he scratched around for 15 minutes before being bowled. Aymes pushed up the order in another experiment also failed.

It took Giles White and Laurence Prittipaul to bring some respectability to the innings with a run a minute 60 run partnership, but both fell almost in tandum, and the writing was on the wall.

A burst of 38 runs by Udal and Hamblin put Hampshire past the 100 mark. Hardings was the pick of the Gloucestershire bowlers taking 3 vital wickets.

Although Hampshire are playing virtually their full squad of first and second eleven players throughout these matches, there is still concern that the batting problems that beset them in 2000 season, are already showing their face.

However it is still very early, and play they Warwickshire in another day/night match at Paarl tommorrow (Saturday), and will be hoping for a marked improvement.