Young Guns Steal Show as Royals Qualify for Quarters

Hampshire beat Sussex by 45 runs to qualify for the Friends Provident t20 Quarter Finals.

Hampshire Royals v Sussex Sharks
Friends Provident t20
Sunday 18th July 2010
The Rose Bowl 

Summary
Hampshire beat Sussex by 45 runs
Hampshire Royals: 195-5
Sussex Sharks: 150 ao (19 overs)

The Hampshire Royals qualified for the quarter-finals of the Friends Provident t20 Cup with a 45-run victory over the Sussex Sharks at The Rose Bowl on Sunday.

Neil McKenzie rightly won the man of the match award having scored an unbeaten 67 and performed excellently in the field, but it was the Royals’ younger contingent who stole the headlines.

Reserve team wicket-keeper Michael Bates had got the call at 9.30 on the morning of the match when Nic Pothas was withdrawn at the last minute through illness.

And while fellow youngsters, Chris Wood, Danny Briggs and James Vince all played their parts to notable effect, it’s also fair to say this was a team performance and one worthy of seeing the Royals make the knock-out rounds.

Click here to see a full scorecard

Having won the toss and elected to field first, Sussex effectively allowed Hampshire the opportunity to take the early initiative. It was an invitation that looked like it might be passed up when the early wickets of Vince (5), and Abdul Razzaq (4) went leaving Hampshire 2-24 inside the first four overs.

But then a fluent innings from Jimmy Adams (30) and Michael Carberry (36) in particular helped steady the ship, the latter bringing up a 50 partnership with McKenzie with a huge 6 over mid-wicket that went half-way up the stands!

In the 17th over a 4 from Sean Ervine who, himself, was on the way to a quite incredible 32 off 12 balls took the Royals through the 150 mark.

But, throughout, it was McKenzie who was the backbone of the team and, though he was playing more reservedly, when his 50 came up in the 19th over, it was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd.

And Macca saved his best for the last over. Opening up his body, the South African hit two 4s then a 6, almost single-handedly helping his team to 18 runs and an impressive innings total of 195.

Chris Wood and Michael Bates celebrate taking Luke Wright's wicket

The Sharks started their chase competitively, ahead on run-rate for each of the first 4 overs. It was something of a break-through, therefore, when Bates caught Luke Wright (26) off Wood.

When, in the following two overs, some excellent, athletic fielding from McKenzie saw off fellow opener, Matt Prior (10) and Sharks’ captain Michael Yardy (0), the crowd sensed the tide beginning to turn.

Despite a brief revival in a 24-run 12th over, the Sharks never really recovered and as all ten wickets fell with an over to spare, Wood (2-27) and Dominic Cork (2-31) took the wickets while Dan Christian (1-16 off 4 overs) kept the scoring down.

The win took Hampshire through on run-rate to face Warwickshire at Edgbaston in just over a weeks’ time. First, they play Kent in the Clydesdale Bank 40 match at Canterbury next Sunday.

 

Words: Simon Vincent; Images: Barry Zee / Getty

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