By Jeremy Horne
May 7 2002

Angus Fraser was unable to prevent Middlesex losing by 3 runs in his final appearance for the club at the Rose Bowl. Needing 6 to win off the final ball Chad Keegan could only manage a single meaning that we had failed to qualify for the quarter finals for another year. It all went down to the wire as Middlesex required 11 of the final over to be bowled by Will Kendall. However, they could only manage 7. Middlesex’s reply had started badly, losing both openers before ten were an the board, but useful innings’ by Owais Shah (47), Ed Joyce (53) and Simon Cook (48) began to wing the game in Middlesex’s favour. The loss of Ashley Noffke for a duck meant that a lot of work was still needed from the tail and for the second day in a row a big 8th wicket partnership looked to swing the game in the visitors favour. Paul Weekes, batting in the unusual role of number nine, came together with Simon Cook to put on 61. It wasn’t to be as Weekes’ dismissal in the final over left us with too much to do.

Earlier in the day Hampshire recovered from 4-2 thanks to a fine century from John Crawley. He shared in stands of 127 with Giles White (60) and 62 with Nic Pothas (26). Angus Fraser also collected two wickets in Hampshire’s 237-5, to mark his final appearance for the club.

Hampshire innings:

Hamblin c Weekes b Fraser 4
Johnson b Keegan 0
Kenway c Nash b Noffke 28
Crawley Not Out 103
White c Strauss b Fraser 60
Pothas c Joyce b Keegan 26
Mascarenhas Not out 2

Extras 14

Total (for 5 wkts, 50 overs) 237

Middlesex innings:

Strauss c Pothas b Mullally 3
Koenig b Mascarenhas 2
Hutton c Kendall b Prittipaul 27
Shah c Kenway b Kendall 47
Joyce c Mascarenhas b Hamblin 53
Nash c Pothas b Mascarenhas 15
Cook c Mascarenhas b Kendall 48
Noffke c and b Mascarenhas 0
Weekes Run out 24
Keegan Not out 1
Fraser Not out o

Extras 14

Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 234

Result: Hampshire win by 3 runs
Gold award: John Crawley

GOODBYE GUS

This was Gussy’s last game for the team and we feel that it is our duty to say thank you Gus for all the years you gave us and of course England. We also thank him for the unity he brought to the club as captain last year. Fraser took 177 test wickets in 46 matches aswell as 886 first class wickets, during his remarkable 18-year career. We wish him the best of luck in his media career
THANK YOU GUS!!