Carberry's Regal Return Helps Hants Towards Semis

Match Report from the Hampshire Royals' Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Somerset at The Ageas Bowl

Hampshire Royals v Surrey
Clydesdale Bank 40
Sunday 19 August
The Ageas Bowl

Summary: Hampshire beat Surrey by four wickets
Surrey: 175-9
Hampshire Royals: 176-6 (38.1 / 40 ovs)
Scorecard
Concurrent Table

Royals Team
Adams*, Carberry, Vince, McKenzie, Katich, Ervine, Dawson, Wood, Bates†, Briggs, Griffiths
Surrey Team
Hamilton-Brown, Davies†, Pietersen, Roy, Spriegel, de Bruyn, Batty*, Ansari, Kartik, Meaker, Dernbach 

The Hampshire Royals kept themselves top of their Clydesdale Bank 40 group with a hard-fought four-wicket win over Surrey at The Ageas Bowl.

A superb half century from the returning Michael Carberry (54) helped The Royals overhaul their victory target after the visitors had posted 175-9.

Kevin Pietersen had earlier endured a miserable return to his old stomping ground with a first ball duck as some excellent Hampshire bowling restricted the Surrey batsmen to a below par score.

The win keeps Hampshire in with a great chance of qualifying for the semi finals with one match left to play against Durham Dynamos a week on Monday.

The Surrey openers got off to a watchful start in their innings with the first boundary not arriving until the fifth over due, in part, to some excellent Hampshire bowling. Two balls later, though, The Royals had the breakthrough when Liam Dawson (2-26) had Rory Hamilton-Brown (5) caught behind, bringing Pietersen to the crease.

But the former Royal’s demise was greeted with jubilation from the home crowd just moments later as Dawson bowled him [pictured below] first ball for the second time this season, repeating his exploits from the Friends Life t20 match at the Kia Oval.

Things got even better for the home side in the next over when Chris Wood (2-42) got in on the act, bowling Jason Roy (0) to leave Surrey reeling on 16-3.

Matthew Spriegel (47) and Zander De Bruyn (57) then set about rebuilding the innings, putting on 94 together before Sean Ervine caught a reverse sweep from Spriegel off the bowling of Danny Briggs (1-29). 

De Bruyn (57) passed his half century and put on 41 in four overs with Zafar Ansari (17) before both batsmen were caught in successive balls off the bowling of David Griffiths (3-29) who also ran out Murali Kartik (0) in the penultimate over.

Wood picked up the wicket of Gareth Batty (0) in the final over as Surrey set The Royals a target of 176 runs at 4.4 / over to win – not an easy feat on a spinning wicket. And Hampshire suffered an early setback in the run chase when James Vince (2) was run out after some sharp Surrey fielding.

But home Captain Jimmy Adams (22), alongside Carberry, who was back in the XI for the first time since a knee injury sustained in the nets six weeks ago, were looking good, putting on 43 to steady the ship before Adams edged behind off Jade Dernbach (2-36).

At the half way stage in the innings the game was hanging in the balance with The Royals needing 97 more runs to win with eight wickets in hand. But with Carberry at the crease and enjoying his return to the first team, the target always seemed within reach, especially when the former England player passed fifty with a huge six straight down the ground.

He was ably supported in a partnership of 79 by Neil McKenzie (38) and the pair took their side to within 50 runs of victory when the South African was caught on the boundary sweeping Kartik (2-26).

Carberry departed two overs later to the crowds dismay, attempting a reverse sweep and being given out lbw.

With five overs left just four wickets remained and, with 26 runs still needed, anxiety was starting to creep in before Ervine (17) and Michael Bates (13) came together to banish any worries. Bates hit one of the sweetesdt sixes you'll see to take His side to within three runs of victory and Ervine hit the winning runs with 11 balls to spare.

 

Words: Simon Vincent
Images: LMI Photography

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