Cricket: Hampshire Diary by Will Kendall

The group stages of the Twenty20 competition ended earlier this week in disappointment for Hampshire following defeats on successive days to Middlesex at Uxbridge and Surrey at the Rose Bowl. But, although it has been extremely frustrating for us not to have capitalised on our first day victory over Sussex, there is a very real excitement about the tournament in the county and seemingly around the country. As a team, we have not hit our straps in this tournament at all and have not given a true account of ourselves. With no previous experience to draw on, we have had to feel our way a little from a tactical point of view and have not yet found a recipe that works consistently to win games. Simon Katich has clearly been our most consistent performer with some fine knocks. His run accumulation is varied, with singles and quick twos mixed in with the occasional boundary. He rarely fails to score off a ball and his strike rate is fantastic. Unfortunately we were unable to consistently follow his excellent lead, too often allowing the momentum of the match to swing to the opposition. Tuesday's game was a case in point. Once 'Kat' was out, our batting fell away and our chances became ever more remote. That was a shame because we had done well to limit Surrey to 140 for 9 after their flying start, Lawrie Prittipaul bowling very tightly in mid-innings. For some teams the experiments have come off, though it is interesting to see some of the traditionally strong one-day sides like Gloucestershire, Surrey and Warwickshire leading the way to the finals at Trent Bridge. No doubt their finer and well-honed one-day skills have served them well, but it has not always been so predictable. Other sides such as Glamorgan and Somerset have excellent records in one-day cricket in the last couple of years but have been nowhere near the mix. But what has been consistent across the board is the public's enthusiasm for Twenty20. Matches have often been played in front of full houses, and the fact that 6,500 turned up at the Rose Bowl last Tuesday for what was a dead rubber for both teams is testament to the draw of this style of cricket. Apparently, though most spectators care about the result, many (and particularly the children) are there for the entertainment and the occasion. What the Twenty20 has offered to counties is simply something that appeals to a spectrum of the public. After years of attempting to make the best of the same old resources of the County Championship and some 45 and 50 over cricket, finally the country's marketing departments have a formula that is attractive to members of the public who previously found cricket too long, too dull and frankly not sexy. This is not to say that cricket is now going to become fashionable (though it would be nice!), but at least there is a feeling that Twenty20 can alter the traditional image of the game that has been stuck in the minds of most of the public. Money is badly needed It's extremely important though not to dumb it down, cricket has desperately needed this boost. Counties are businesses that need to make money and consequently have to adapt to the market. Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising to see some extra games in the schedule next year. For years the game has tried to evolve in its pursuit of public attention, and now that the authorities have found a radical plan that works they are bound to avoid letting the opportunity slip from its grasp. It has been interesting talking to players around the counties to gauge their impressions of this cricket revolution. Almost without exception, there was a certain scepticism initially with many feeling that it was going to be a bit of a hit and giggle, not altogether dissimilar to a benefit match. But players have quickly realised that it is a fun game to play - fast action, plenty of entertainment and above all, it's in front of big crowds who seem to be having a good time. These are some of the most appealing factors of being a professional sportsman and are a far cry from a chilly afternoon in the field in Derby. The Twenty20 is here to stay, there can be no doubt about that, and I am sure that the players will continue to fully embrace it, develop tactics and skills that can be carried into other one-day cricket and revel in the experience. We just hope that the public continues to enjoy the thrills and spills too. So now we head back to the reality of the regular season and the relative calm of the Championship and the National League. There is clearly still plenty to play for this year, with our form in the latter being good and we are still well within touching distance of the leading sides in our Championship Division 2. After the glorious weather of the past two or three weeks, we are hoping for more of the same to avoid any more washouts.