Career best from Ervine helps Royals demolish Gladiators

Sean Ervine put in his best ever t20 bowling performance to help Hampshire cruise to a seven wicket win over Gloucestershire.

Gloucestershire Gladiators v Hampshire Royals
Friends Provident t20
Saturday 19th June 2010 (14.40 start)
Bristol

Summary
Hampshire Royals win by 7 wickets
Gloucestershire Gladiators: 68 (17.5 ovs)
Hampshire Royals: 69-3 (7.3 ovs)

Sean Ervine put in his best ever t20 bowling performance to help Hampshire cruise to a seven wicket win over Gloucestershire.

Although the Zimbabwean will deservingly take the credit having taken four wickets at the expense of just 12 runs, special mention should also go to Chris Wood (2-12) and Dominic Cork (2-9) who, on another day, could have earned the man-of-the-match award themselves with performances like these.

Such incredible bowling saw the home side all out for just 68 – the joint second lowest score in the tournament’s history (the the lowest score ever recorded in the English county t20 competition was just 67 by Sussex in 2004. The opposition that day?...  Hampshire!)

The Royals chased down the score in under 8 overs, with the pick of the batsmen being James Vince, who top scored with 26 in his first ever t20 match for the visitors.

The youngster had an excellent debut all-round, also taking two good boundary catches as Hampshire’s fielders kept things tight.

Giles White’s men took the initiative from the off and it was Wood – who’s having an excellent season so far – who led the way, dismissing the Gladiators’ Hamish Marshall and James Franklin, while Will Porterfield was run out needlessly, leaving the home side struggling on 11-3 in the fourth over.

Then Ervine scythed his way through the middle order seeing off Chris Taylor, Alex Gidman, Steve Snell and Kadeer Ali for a combined total of 24 runs.

Dominic Cork would ensure the home side couldn’t even finish their allotted overs, by taking out the tail; Jon Lewis the only Gladiator to put on a decent batting performance scoring just 19.

Ervine is Hampshire's joint leading wicket-taker in this season's t20 competition

Though Hants fans might have fancied savouring the experience of such an excellent win, openers, Jimmy Adams (14) and Michael Lumb (6) had no such intentions. They set about chasing down the 69 runs required with vigour, making 17 off the first two overs.

When they both went in a third over that did little to inspire the Bristol crowds’ enthusiasm, Ervine (15 not out) and Vince (26) took to the crease and did the majority of the leg-work, hitting nine boundaries between them to take their team to within seven runs of victory.

Neil McKenzie (5*) stepped up to see the team across the line with 7.3 overs down.

The only downside for Hampshire was the loss of Dan Christian through injury.

But a third victory in the competition took The Royals up to 5th in the table with 6 points. Surrey are next up at The Oval on Tuesday.

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