Worcestershire loanee Callum Parkinson was full of admiration for his fellow bowlers and new teammates, as they combined to take ten-wickets on Day Three, putting the Pears in the driving seat heading into the final day, requiring seven more scalps for victory.
Having only joined the squad on Friday, it has been a hectic week for the Durham spinner, but the county pro has got to work immediately, praising the warm welcome he received from the club and his new teammates.
“I have absolutely loved it. They are a great bunch of guys, an amazing coaching group, and obviously there are some lads that I know quite well from from my years playing at Leicestershire and Durham, so I am just delighted to be back playing first team cricket.
“They couldn’t have made me any more welcome and feel a part of it. I’ve really enjoyed the week so far.
“When you’re like me, I can talk to anyone so I have thrown myself into it! I’ve played for eight or nine years now on the circuit and it’s amazing cricket, how it brings you full circle.
“I played with Kadeer Ali when he was at Staffordshire and he’s now assistant coach. So it’s a small world, having got to know a lot of lads I couldn’t speak any higher of the group.”
After the Hampshire bowlers struggled for five sessions to make anything happen with the ball, the pitch has rewarded the visitor’s seam attack, and Parkinson himself, who have all bowled diligently and applied consistent pressure.
Tom Taylor led the way in Hampshire’s first innings, taking four wickets, while the rest of the unit came together and chipped in frequently, dismissing the hosts for 221.
Enforcing the follow on, Parkinson went on to clean up Nick Gubbins late on with a beauty that beat the left hander, but the spinner says his three wickets across the day were testament to the hard work of the seam attack.
“I enjoyed that today, yeah, obviously a really good day for us, we stuck to our tasks really well. I thought the seamers came in really hard, smashed an area, and were really disciplined throughout the day, we put pressure on the Hampshire lineup. So obviously to take ten wickets in the day was really pleasing.
“I think it’s a high quality seam attack. They all know their roles.
“Finchy is kind of the enforcer, Waitey does his job and Benny and Tommy with a new ball are dangerous. I think they hunt really well as a pack. It is really good signs going into tomorrow that those boys are still getting some out of a pretty docile surface.”
Across the two innings so far, Parkinson has returned combined figures of 3-93 from his 48.3 overs, holding up an end in ideal fashion for Jake Libby – who only waited eight overs to re-introduce him into the attack during the evening session of Day Three.
Parkinson, says patience is the key virtu for his team on the final day, who are chasing seven wickets for a crucial victory in the Division One survival bid.
“I think it spun more and more as the day went on. There’s some footholes now to the left handers and a little bit from straight to the right handers. So it’s just like the seamers, be nice and patient then attack when we feel like we’ve got an opportunity.
“But as we have done for all the game, we will control the board and keep the pressure on them.
“Just trust the process that’s got us the 13 so far. I’ll just try and twirl away at that top end and nice and patient and hope things happen.
