Vince & Crane Star As Hampshire Seal Bounce-Back T20 Blast Victories

James Vince struck another unbeaten half-century as Hampshire secured a comfortable eight-wicket victory against Glamorgan in the latest NatWest T20 Blast encounter.

Mason Crane (3-21) celebrated his call-up to the England Test team with three wickets including two in as many balls as the Hampshire attack bowled excellently to restrict Glamorgan to 118-6 from their 20 overs.

In reply, Vince (60*) led front the front with a sublime innings as Hampshire claimed victory in the hunt for a the qualification spots.

Hampshire got off to a dream start when Liam Dawson (2-15) bowled Aneurin Donald (0) to reduce the visitors to 1-1 in the first over.

The left-arm spinner then picked up the prized wicket of Colin Ingram (13) in his very next over to leave Glamorgan in trouble at 15-2.

Nick Selman and Jacques Rudolphthen  guided Glamorgan to 34-2 after the batting powerplay but Crane then came and broke a promising partnership, leaving the visitors on 47-3 after Selman (17) inside edged the ball onto his stumps.

Crane then changed the game in his next over, removing Chris Cooke (5) and Rudolph (20) in successive balls to reduce Glamorgan to 56-5 in the 12^th over.

Shahid Afridi (1-15) then picked up his first wicket as Meschede (4) became debutant Calvin Dickinson’s second stumping of the evening, leaving the visitors on 65-6 and in a precarious position.

Graham Wagg and Andrew Salter looked to rebuild the innings with the biggest partnership of the game, taking their side into three figures with one over of the innings remaining.

The pair then hit 17 runs off the final over to take their side to 117-6 from their allotted 20 overs.

Hampshire got off a bad start with Dickinson (1) being trapped in front in the first over of the innings, but Vince and Tom Alsop recovered, hitting 34 runs off the following three overs as the hosts motored onto 42-1.

Vince continued finding the ropes with some classy strokes, with his side racing past their half-century and ending the powerplay well ahead of the run-rate on 63-1, whilst bringing up their 50 partnership.

Their stand was eventually ended in the ninth over when Alsop (28) holed out to Merchant de Lange in the deep, but the damage was done in his 20-ball innings.

Vince was still at the crease, and he swiftly brought up his half-century off 32 balls as his side moved into three figures with more than eight overs remaining.

George Bailey (25*) hit the winning runs as Hampshire sealed an important victory and stayed in the hunt for qualification in a closely contested South Group.