Adams Hits 64 As Royals Reign in Uxbridge

Hampshire beat Middlesex by 6 wickets in Saturday's Friends Provident t20 match at Uxbridge.

Middlesex Panthers v Hampshire Royals
Friends Provident t20
Saturday 10th July 2010
Uxbridge 

Summary
Hampshire beat Middlesex by 6 wickets
Middlesex Panthers: 164-7
Hampshire Royals: 165-4 (18.3 ov)

Jimmy Adams - as has so often been the case this season - led the way for the Royals with a magnificent 64 to help tame the Panthers.

The result wasn't always so sure after the hosts' Owais Shah spent a long afternoon at the crease, picking up 80 runs for his troubles.

But Adams' 89 partnership with Carberry and 50 partnership with Vince ate away at the Middlesex score of 164 with relative ease.

The 6 wicket win - secured in 18.3 overs - leaves the Royals 4th in the group, and still with everything to play for in their quest to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Click here for the full scorecard

A cautious start from the hosts saw them reach just 35 for 1 off the powerplay, but bizarrely, that was when they started to open up. 15 off the next over saw them reach 50 with Shah looking most comfortable on 29.

But as colleagues fell around him the former England star continued to play effectively, if not effusively. By the mid-way mark, Middlesex were 66-3 and grinding out a score.

An hour - and 39 balls - into his innings, Shah went through the 50 mark (including four 4s and two 6s) and was gathering pace.

A flurry of boundaries in the final two overs saw him practically single-handedly add 34 to the score, his team finishing on 164. Somewhat bizarrely, he was out final ball, holing out to Ervine off Wood.

Adams top-scored for the Royals with 64 off 44 balls (including ten 4s).

After such a belligerent end to the hosts’ innings, The Royals’ started in a similar vein. The 6th over alone yielded 22 runs as Hampshire hit 65 without loss. The only slight wobble was when Michael Carberry was dropped on 15 having top edged to Pedro Collins.

The England Lions star was living dangerously though, and having been dropped for the second time, was finally caught by Berg off Shah’s first delivery, going for 41, having helped his team to 89.

In the 10th over a four from Adams crashed him through the 50 mark and the Royals through 100. Neil Dexter rewarded Jimmy for his troubles with a painful looking attempted run–out that struck the opener on the back!

No worry, together with a James Vince (24) looking in fine touch the pair raced to a 50 partnership in six overs together at the crease. An awkward 15th over saw Berg take the wickets of both, but the result was never really in doubt.

Ervine stroked a single to win the game by 6 wickets and inside 19 overs. The Royal’s next match is the return fixture at The Rose Bowl next Friday. Click here to buy tickets – and see the Royals attempt to do the double over the Panthers.

Royals: Adams, Carberry, Vince, Ervine, McKenzie, Razzaq, Christian, Pothas, Cork, Wood, Briggs.

Panthers: Warner, Dexter, Shah, Malan, Berg, Newman, Henderson, Scott, Smith, Murtagh, Collins.

Words: Simon Vincent

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