Kent did their old rivals no favours in Hampshire’s Championship year of 1961 but the Southampton match produced some superb cricket. Centuries from Wilson and Cowdrey enabled Kent to declare at 390 for nine on the first day and although Ingleby-Mackenzie entertained with a hard-hit 90 Hampshire were 158 behind. Cowdrey’s second declaration left Hampshire the whole of Tuesday’s play to score 375 at 70 an hour. Henry Horton led the assault with a century but the last wicket fell in the final minutes of the extra half-hour with Hampshire 28 short. They were leading the Championship when they arrived at the St Lawrence ground in August but, despite a rapid hundred from Marshall, they seldom appeared likely to get anything from the game. Cowdrey made 156 and Kent, gaining the lead, continued their innings until almost lunchtime on the third day and although Hampshire collapsed against spin a finish was never on. Notwithstanding the relative positions of the two counties the prospect of Cowdrey in full flow was mouth watering for the spectators. The 1962 match at Southampton broke no records but it provided a perfect example of the contest-within-a contest which makes cricket the most fascinating of games. Kent were left to score 216 at 96 an hour against Shackleton, Butch White and the slow left-arm spin of Alan Wassell. Cowdrey and Peter Richardson, his former opening partner for England, hit 50 in 25 minutes for the third wicket before Richardson fell for 43. Cowdrey got 76 and although Shackleton took some punishment his six for 88 proved decisive, Hampshire winning by nine runs with two minutes left. There was opportunity for more sublime batting from Cowdrey (99 and 100 not out at Canterbury in 1964), not to mention Richardson, Mike Denness, Marshall and Horton before the old style holiday games ceased, with Hampshire marginally ahead in the post-war series. Hampshire v Kent 156