Brave Fightback Can't Prevent Semi-Final Defeat
Aug 17 2013
Hampshire Royals v Surrey
Friends Life T20 sEMI-fINAL
Edgbaston
saturday 17 august
Summary: Surrey beat Hampshire Royals by four wickets
Hampshire: 142-9
Surrey: 145-6 (19.2 overs)
Scorecard
Royals:
Carberry, Vince, Adams, McKenzie, Ervine, Dawson, Wheater+ , Mascarenhas*, Wood, Tanvir, Briggs
Surrey:
Roy, Davies+, Solanki*, Mahmood, Maxwell, Wilson, de Bruyn, Ansari, Lewis, Tremlett, Dernbach
A brave fight-back from the Hampshire bowling attack couldn’t prevent the Royals falling to a four wicket defeat to Surrey in the Semi-Final of the Friends Life t20 at Edgbaston.
Sean Ervine’s 47 off just 32 balls was the highlight of Hampshire’s innings as Surrey bowled well to restrict the Royals to 142-9 off their 20 overs.
Two wickets from Chris Wood (2-40) and a wicket each from Dimitri Mascarenhas (1-24), Danny Briggs (1-28) and Liam Dawson (1-29) had threatened an upset, but an unbeaten 41 from Zander de Bruyn helped Surrey reach the final in the last over of the match.
Overcast conditions at Edgbaston made Surrey Captain Vikram Solanki’s decision to field first after winning the toss a straightforward one. And Surrey were immediately on the front-foot when both Hampshire openers fell inside the first five overs to leave them 32-2.
Despite Neil Mckenzie (5) departing to a questionable lbw decision soon after, Hampshire showed on Thursday night against Surrey they are more than capable of hitting runs down the order. And in it was the in-form Ervine (47) who gave the travelling fans something to shout about, clearing the boundary line twice in the 12th over to leave Hampshire 83-4.
Hampshire’s hopes of reaching 150 looked to rest on the fluent Ervine but after he fell to Surrey’s stand-out bowler Azhar Mahmood (2-9) to end his knock of 47 from 32 balls, it was Surrey who finished stronger.
Lower-order runs from Mascarenhas (15) and Wood (12) did help Hampshire reach 142-9, but it was certainly advantage Surrey at the half-way stage.
To restrict Surrey to less than 143, Hampshire knew they’d have to bowl tight from the off and perhaps, more importantly take early wickets. And that’s exactly what they did as Mascarenhas and Wood each picked up an early wicket to leave Surrey 17-2.
Ex-Hampshire batsman Glenn Maxwell (26) and Solanki (19) had threatened to build an important partnership, but once they both fell to spinners Briggs and Dawson, Surrey found themselves 71-4 at the half-way stage.
A 40-run partnership from de Bruyn and Gary Wilson (15) had left Surrey needing 40 off the last five overs, but two wickets in Wood’s third over – the first an excellent diving catch from McKenzie - gave Hampshire hope of salvaging an unlikely win.
But after needing 18 from the last two overs, Zafar Ansari (21*) hit two vital fours of the penultimate and then another four in the last over to see Surrey into the Final.
Words: Jamie Hopkins
Images: LMI Photography
Background
Hampshire enjoyed their most successful group campaign ever, losing only once across the 10 matches. The Royals secured a spot in the knock-out rounds with two group games to spare with a last-over win over Essex at The Ageas Bowl. The holders then booked their place at Finals Day after a thrilling one-run victory over the Lancashire Lightning. Hampshire went into the match having won the domestic twenty20 competition twice in their history; in 2010 and 2012. With this year their fourth consecutive season at Finals Day, the Royals had earned the tag of the consistent twenty20 side in the country.
Semi-Final opponents, Surrey are a team whom the Royals beat twice in the group stages; by five wickets with four balls remaining at The Ageas Bowl, then by seven wickets with 10 balls remaining at the Kia Oval. The Londoners finished as Runners-Up in the notoriously difficult South Group to Hampshire and then beat the Royals' traditional Finals Day opponents Somerset in the last eight. They had been to Finals Day on four previous occasions (winning the inaugral tournament in 2003) but not since 2006. Skipper Gareth Batty was banned from Finals Day after he was given a two-match ban for an incident in the Quarter-Finals. Kevin Pietersen was placed under England doctor's orders to rest. Both teams' final matches before Finals Day was against each other in a Yorkshire Bank 40 match at the Ageas Bowl - a three wicket win for the hosts with eight balls remaining.
Words: Jamie Hopkins
Images: LMI Photography