Hampshire 1973 the Championship Year
There were not many people who believed that Hampshire could win the countychampionship at the start of the 1973 season
Greg Struthers
06-Nov-2003
There were not many people who believed that Hampshire could win the county
championship at the start of the 1973 season. Sure, they had a powerful
opening batting pair in the South African Barry Richards and West Indian
Gordon Greenidge. And with the likes of David Turner and Trevor Jesty they
had batsmen who could continue the good work at the crease. But it was a
line-up better suited to limited-overs competition and their weaker bowling
attack had always hampered their success.
Champions 1973 Copyright - Patrick Eagar |
Their batsmen lived up to their reputations with both Greenidge and Richards
notching more than 1,000 runs each. But it was the bowlers who surprised
everybody - Bob Herman, Tom Mottram and Mike Taylor took more than 50
wickets each and spinners Peter Sainsbury and New Zealander David O'Sullivan
chipped in with 40-odd wickets apiece.
"We had a wonderful team spirit too," recalls Turner. "Our bowlers performed
superbly. However, a lot of our success came because of our fielding.
Greenidge and Richards took everything that flew to them in the slips, and
we had some good ground fielders."
Buckingham Palace Copyright - Southern Newspapers |
R.V.Lewis |
D.R.O'Sullivan |
M.N.S.Taylor |
T.J.Mottram |
4 Tom Mottram This was Mottram's finest season in four summers in first-class cricket, taking 57 wickets at an average of 22. Mottram played 35 matches and took 111 wickets. He is an architect in Poole, Dorset.
R.S.Herman |
C.G.Greenidge |
A.J.Murtagh |
T.E.Jesty |
D.R.Turner |
P.J.Sainsbury |
R.M.C.Gilliat (captain) |
B.A.Richards |
G.R.Stephenson |