Natwest Pro40 - Hampshire v Yorkshire 5th August

Hampshire innings

Jacques Rudolph’s fine 79 had helped Yorkshire to a tough target but Hampshire’s openers began confidently with a flurry of early boundaries under the floodlights. Jimmy Adams lifted Tim Bresnan over square leg and both openers were picking up singles at every opportunity as the early momentum was with the home side.

Adams was growing in confidence as he hoisted Deon Kruis over long on for the first maximum of the Hampshire innings. Yorkshire introduced Matthew Hoggard to stem the flow of runs but Adams was in no mood to hold back, immediately finding the deep point boundary for four.

Hampshire were flying and had reached 77 for 0 when spinner Adil Rashid was introduced into the attack. And he got the vital breakthrough as Adams (44 off 53 balls), having looked so secure, top edged a sweep straight into the waiting hands of Bresnan at square leg.

Lumb reached his 33rd fifty after a powerful cut off Rashid gained him three runs and, although the boundaries had dried up, Lumb and Michael Carberry were picking up singles with relative ease. But David Wainwright then had Lumb caught behind for 53 off 66 balls, leaving the Hawks needing a further 111 runs to win.

New batter Sean Ervine flayed Richard Pyrah through the covers for a welcome boundary before pulling him for a meaty six out to square leg, just evading the despairing dive of Jonathan Bairstow. Carberry (39 off 57 balls) then edged to keeper Gerard Brophy off Pyrah to bring captain Dimitri Mascarenhas to the crease. The skipper heaved Bresnan over midwicket for a crucial six before launching him over deep point and the desperate leap of Rashid for another maximum to swing the momentum back Hampshire’s way.

Kruis was called upon to bowl the penultimate over and Ervine skied a simple chance only to be crucially dropped by Andrew Gale. However Mascarenhas was then run out off the last ball.

With 10 needed, Matthew Hoggard was entrusted with the last over. Chris Benham hit the first ball for a quickly run two before square driving an excellent four to send the crowd into frenzied excitement. A quick single was taken off the next ball before a mix up off the next saw Ervine run out. Liam Dawson arrived at the wicket with three needed off the last two balls and sprinted two off his first ball leaving Hampshire needing a single to win. As the field closed in, Dawson flicked the last delivery into a gap on the leg side and sprinted the winning run to seal a memorable victory.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2009)

For full game report, click here.