Date-stamped : 19 May97 - 06:16
Hampshire v Leicestershire

Leicestershire (231) beat Hants (193) by 38 runs

NEIL  Johnson  may  have  been  Leicestershire`s  third choice of
overseas  replacement for Phil Simmons but his  contract looked a
shrewd one at Southampton, writes Pat Symes.

His decisive hitting at the top  of  the  order   proved  crucial
as  Leicestershire  defeated  Hampshire by 38  runs.  Johnson did
not arrive  until  April   30   from   South   Africa   but   his
assimilation  has  been  quick  and  his rapid 54 in 52 balls was
matched in aggression only by Kevan James for Hampshire.

Leicestershire faltered in mid  innings  after  losing  the  toss
until  Ben  Smith  led the acceleration to 231 for six,  a modest
figure Hampshire never threatened.

While Johnson is already proving his worth, Hampshire`s  overseas
signing  Matthew  Hayden  is  still  struggling  to adjust to the
county circuit  after   being   deemed   surplus   to  Australian
requirements for the Ashes.

Hayden laboured 13 overs  for  his  19  but   added   his  medium
pace,  little  used  in  Australia, to good effect by  dismissing
Vince Wells and Aftab Habib.

Hampshire`s challenge subsided from  the  moment  Robin Smith was
held  on  the   third-man  boundary  without  scoring  and James`
half century was halted.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

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