Hampshire go down with a splash
ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from Auckland v Hampshire at Centurion
Firdose Moonda at Centurion
10-Oct-2012
Andre Adams' sliding catch was better by Lou Vincent's flying effort • Getty Images
Splash of the day
When the pool was built into SuperSport Park last season, it was thought to be one of their best additions. Hot African summers are best enjoyed from a cool tub of blue, after all. You can imagine the groans when fans were told that during play, the pool would have to be covered because regulations stipulated so, in case the ball ended up in it. No-one thought there was too much chance of that happening but today it did. Azhar Mahmood drove Liam Dawson over extra cover and found the water. As a result, the ball had to be changed and the pool was hastily closed again.
When the pool was built into SuperSport Park last season, it was thought to be one of their best additions. Hot African summers are best enjoyed from a cool tub of blue, after all. You can imagine the groans when fans were told that during play, the pool would have to be covered because regulations stipulated so, in case the ball ended up in it. No-one thought there was too much chance of that happening but today it did. Azhar Mahmood drove Liam Dawson over extra cover and found the water. As a result, the ball had to be changed and the pool was hastily closed again.
Shot of the day
Michael Carberry did not waste any time showing Hampshire's intent when he tried to pull Kyle Mills' second ball. He ended up half-gloving, half top-edging the ball over the wicketkeepers' head which landed on the grass embankment for the team's first six. With that one shot, Mills conceded more runs than he had done in all four of his overs against Sialkot at the Wanderers yesterday.
Michael Carberry did not waste any time showing Hampshire's intent when he tried to pull Kyle Mills' second ball. He ended up half-gloving, half top-edging the ball over the wicketkeepers' head which landed on the grass embankment for the team's first six. With that one shot, Mills conceded more runs than he had done in all four of his overs against Sialkot at the Wanderers yesterday.
Catch of the day
The Auckland bowlers quickly worked out that the short ball would be a good option on a pitch which was mostly slow, but saw the occasional one zip through. Mahmood used it four times against Shahid Afridi and on the fifth deliver, was rewarded. Afridi persisted in pulling off the front foot and mis-hit to mid-on where Andre Adams, the second-oldest man on the field (Azhar Mahmood is older by 140 days) ran backwards and took the catch while sliding to dismiss Afridi for a duck.
The Auckland bowlers quickly worked out that the short ball would be a good option on a pitch which was mostly slow, but saw the occasional one zip through. Mahmood used it four times against Shahid Afridi and on the fifth deliver, was rewarded. Afridi persisted in pulling off the front foot and mis-hit to mid-on where Andre Adams, the second-oldest man on the field (Azhar Mahmood is older by 140 days) ran backwards and took the catch while sliding to dismiss Afridi for a duck.
Catch of the day II
Adams may have thought he could not be undone but Lou Vincent stole the spotlight. Carberry was the only Hampshire batsman to get the measure of the pitch, even though he mis-hit and edged more balls than he middled and when he did strike one well down the ground, Vincent got in the way. Carberry tried to hit Michael Bates over long-on but was an inch short. Vincent started off running the wrong way, backpedalled and snatched the ball one-handed out of the sky. After a long celebration he returned to the boundary to tell the ball boy to "always catch with two hands".
Adams may have thought he could not be undone but Lou Vincent stole the spotlight. Carberry was the only Hampshire batsman to get the measure of the pitch, even though he mis-hit and edged more balls than he middled and when he did strike one well down the ground, Vincent got in the way. Carberry tried to hit Michael Bates over long-on but was an inch short. Vincent started off running the wrong way, backpedalled and snatched the ball one-handed out of the sky. After a long celebration he returned to the boundary to tell the ball boy to "always catch with two hands".
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent