T20 quarter-final spot effectively secured for Hampshire Hawks
After a commanding south-coast derby win over Sussex, Hampshire Hawks’ men’s team have all-but secured their place in the Vitality Blast quarter-finals.
Captain James Vince led the charge with an impressive bat, securing 98 not out in 49 balls, chasing down 168 and secure a third straight Hawks victory. James Fuller secured three wickets, before joining Vince in the bat to see the team across the line.
Finding form in a crucial fixture in the competition, Hampshire have now registered seven wins in the tournament – the traditional benchmark for qualification to the finals stage, while Sussex have stalled, losing their last three matches.
Discussing the ‘el clasicoast’ victory, James Vince said: “Yeah, a big win. We would have batted had we won the toss, but I think the wicket with the new ball was a good wicket. I thought our bowlers executed really well, adapted to change in the wicket half way through, and at one point they [Sussex] looked on for 180-190 which would have been a tough chase, so the way we brought it back in tough conditions was fantastic.”
On progress in the competition, the captain added: “We felt that before the game that if we won here, we would be there or thereabouts in terms of our run rate’s pretty good so I think teams would have to win be pretty big margins. I feel we are pretty much there, with one game to go, and obviously will finish as strong as we can.”
The men’s side play their final group stage match away against Essex on Thursday 17 July.
On the other end of the scorecard was Hampshire Hawks’ women’s side, who missed out on their place in Finals Day of the competition, after a defeat to Birmingham Bears ended the side’s hopes.
Bears set Hampshire a target of 165, with Australian superstar Ellyse Perry starting strong, knocking a brilliant 58 for the Hawks.
However, the Hawks couldn’t keep up with the rate and only managed 149 in their 20 overs to lose by 16 runs to send Bears to the showpiece event at the Kia Oval next Sunday.
Despite their premature exit from the competition, Hampshire have been drawing strong crowds for their double headers. Each of the four matches have seen at least 3,000 fans watch the women’s fixture – with 3,251 spectators arriving for this clash.
Friday 18 July will see the final Vitality Blast fixture of the season at Utilita Bowl, with the side taking on The Blaze under the Friday night lights in Southampton. This match also marks Ellyse Perry’s final T20 game at Utilita Bowl in a Hawks shirt this season - a last chance for Hawks fans to see one of the world’s greatest cricketers up close and leading from the front.
Tickets are available at: https://www.utilitabowl.com/cricket/tickets/