Cricket / Benson and Hedges Cup Final: Assured Smith in control

Hampshire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253-5

Kent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-0

TODAY, or tomorrow, Kent have to reach a total of 254 to win their first title since 1978. No county batting second has successfully chased so high a total in a Benson and Hedges Cup final.

Hampshire have taken the upper hand largely through the batting of Robin Smith. Only two batsmen, Graham Gooch and Viv Richards, have scored centuries in a B & H final, and Smith was on course to become the third when Neil Taylor's throw from deep square leg surprised him by being directed at the bowler's end, to which he was heading.

The numerous delays which robbed the day of its climax must have handicapped Hampshire more than Kent, for after reaching 147 for 2 off 39 overs, Hampshire could have expected a few more runs than the 106 they made off their remaining overs, given fair light and no interruptions. Smith's power-play and David Gower's single-stealing complemented one another while Malcolm Marshall's innings, when it came, was the first instalment of his determination to win his first Cup medal.

Kent, however, will not be entirely dismayed at the thought of what lies ahead of them. Their out-cricket has been disciplined throughout, save for one half- chance that Smith presented to Mark Benson off a full toss, when Smith was 41 and beginning to unfurl. Kent have become so efficient a one-day operation that they cannot be ruled out, especially as they share with Hampshire a particularly relevant attribute.

According to Geoff Cook, the former England opener and now manager of Durham, 'a Kent or Hampshire team typically conveys what might be called collective confidence'.

In his book The Narrow Line he attributes this confidence to the high public-school element in both teams, and goes on to say: 'A collection of Kent cricketers leave a club car park after a disappointing game without the same degree of evident depression and brooding you would associate with a working class team.'

Without question, Hampshire batted with conspicuous assurance in the morning session before the first of the rain. But this was not, of course, just a reflection of any social ease. It was also a consequence of their previous success in one-day cricket, which amounts to reaching six semi- finals in as many years.

Whereas the Hampshire side before 1988, when they finally reached their Lord's final, might well have been ruffled by the prospect of being sent in, the present side played with as much composure as if they had won the toss and chosen to bat first. The opening partnership between Tony Middleton and Paul Terry was worth 68 in 19 overs in numerical terms, and more for its effect on morale.

It was an easy-paced and dry- looking pitch before the rain, but if a bowler bent his back it could be responsive. Unfortunately for Kent, only Alan Igglesden in his two spells elicited the seam- swing movement that was to be had.

Mark Ealham's first five overs of squat and bustling medium pace were hit for 23 runs, which speeded Hampshire on their way. At his 1985 best, when he had the Australians on the run from his outswing, Richard Ellison would have been formidable in the dank, grey conditions that prevailed yesterday.

Kent were steadied, not by any scion of Tonbridge School or Sutton Valence but by their West Indian Carl Hooper. He whisked through his allocation and dismissed Middleton when the methodical opener chose to sweep an off-stump ball, having used his feet to off-drive Hooper shortly before.

Another confident gesture by Hampshire was for Smith to bat for the first half of his innings without a helmet. His half-glance, half-clip off his legs was soon in working order; his drive, as usual, verged on brutality, while the fielder at deep cover could only give thanks when Smith went for his square cut and thrashed the air instead.

Much of Smith's cricket has become predictable; reassuring for England, but still predictable. What was unusual, therefore, and welcome, was the freedom which he showed yesterday against the slow bowlers. Hooper and Richard Davis were not Indian spinners on a dusty turner in Madras with appeal-a-minute fielders clustering around the bat; but Smith will have a chance this winter if he keeps improving like this.

It was vital that Smith was able to play himself in before going after the spin. A backfoot force came first, when Hooper could hardly have been said to have dropped short his lifting, turning off break; next, in the same over, came a sweep not with a horizontal bat but as Denis Compton used to play it, sending the ball far too fine for deep square leg to retrieve. The footwork now fluent, the confidence high, Smith went back to a ball from Davis which could hardly be condemned as short, and his backfoot drive beat Matthew Fleming down to the Mound Stand.

Mark Nicholas, swinging a six to the Grandstand, and Marshall, enjoying the less than fierce pace of Fleming, both made full use of their 22 balls at the wicket. The light was at best murky when there was play, yet Hampshire still preferred to stay on and complete their final thrash, rather than suffer one more interruption.

Smith tended to lose the strike in the closing stages, but he still had time to launch himself into an awesome on-drive into the Compton Stand. Perhaps Micky Stewart, the adjudicator, will take the opportunity to persuade Smith after this innings that he has to become England's No 3 in Test matches as well as one-day internationals.

Kent preferred not to continue their innings when given the option of going off for bad light. Eight balls from Cardigan Connor and Marshall were enough to persuade Trevor Ward and Mark Benson of the folly of batting in such dismal circumstances. The prospect of withstanding Marshall in pursuit of his first cup medal was understandably deferred.

LORD'S SCOREBOARD

(Kent won toss)

HAMPSHIRE

T C Middleton lbw b Hooper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

(64 min, 51 balls, 1 four)

V P Terry b Igglesden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

(85 min, 77 balls, 5 fours)

R A Smith run out (Taylor). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

(130 min, 108 balls, 6 fours)

D I Gower lbw b Fleming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

(67 min, 52 balls)

*M C J Nicholas c Ealham b Fleming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

(24 min, 23 balls, 2 fours)

M D Marshall not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

(23 min, 22 balls, 2 fours)

K D James not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

(6 min, 2 balls)

Extras (lb3 w3 nb4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Total (for 5, 204 min, 55 overs). . . . . . . . . . . .253

Fall: 1-68 (Middleton), 2-86 (Terry), 3-171 (Gower), 4-205 (Nicholas), 5-234 (Smith).

Did not bat: R J Parks, S D Udal, J R Ayling, C A Connor.

Bowling: Igglesden 11-1-39-1 (nb3) (6-1-15-0, 5-0- 24-1); Ealham 9-0-46-0 (nb2) (5-0-23-0, 4-0-23-0); McCague 11-0-43-0 (w2) (4-0-14-0, 7-0-29-0); Hooper 11-1-41-1; Davis 5-0-18-0; Fleming 8-0-63-2 (w3) (one spell each).

Progress: 50: 53 min, 14.5 overs. 100: 102 min, 27.5 overs. Lunch: 148 for 2 (Smith 51, Gower 24), 39 overs. Rain during and after lunch prevented restart until 4.05pm. 150: 139 min, 39.5 overs. Rain stopped play 4.07pm. Tea: taken at 4.10pm, 151 for 2 (Smith 53, Gower 25), 39.5 overs. Restart: 4.34pm. 200: 173 min, 48.4 overs. 250: 203 min, 54.4 overs. Innings closed 5.41pm.

Smith's 50: 69 min, 69 balls, 5 fours.

KENT

T R Ward not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

(6 min, 5 balls)

*M R Benson not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

(6 min, 3 balls)

Extras (w1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Total (for 0, 6 min, 1.2 overs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Bowling: Connor 1-0-4-0 (w1); Marshall 0.2-0-0-0.

To bat: N R Taylor, C L Hooper, G R Cowdrey, M V Fleming, S A Marsh, M A Ealham, R P Davis, M J McCague, A P Igglesden.

Progress: Bad light stopped play at 6.01pm. Play abandoned at 6.30pm. Play starts 11.0am today.

Umpires: J H Hampshire and M J Kitchen.

(Photograph omitted)