Twenty20: Hampshire v Kent

Hampshire’s continued progress in the Twenty20 Cup is hanging by a thread as they were soundly beaten by 7 wickets by Kent at The Rose Bowl. After Hampshire posted a mediocre total of 131 for 7, Kent strolled home with 12 balls remaining to qualify for the quarter final stage, with Hampshire’s fate still yet to be decided.

Kent’s captain Rob Key lost the toss allowing Dimi Mascarenhas the choice to bat first and 9 runs from the first over seemed to vindicate that decision. However the second over saw the first wicket tumble and Jimmy Adams was out for 5 as he was caught by Key off Ryan McLaren.

It wasn’t long until the second wicket fell; Michael Carberry succumbed to McLaren’s medium pace and aired his delivery for Justin Kemp to take a simple catch. It then went from bad to worse. Azhar Mahmood got the prize wicket of Michael Lumb as he skied his delivery for McLaren to catch at mid wicket for 10.

Unfortunately for the packed crowd there was worse to come. Sean Ervine hit a Simon Cook delivery up into the air for Amjad Khan to catch for just 2. The end of the power play saw Hampshire lose four left handers, all in similar circumstances, and more worryingly it left them 30 for 4 with a real fight on their hands.

The fight got more difficult when Liam Dawson (4) tried to knock Khan over short leg, but he didn’t get enough on it so it allowed Martin van Jaarsveld to take a decent catch. Wickets continued to tumble; Geraint Jones stumped Chris Benham for just 3 after he tried to come down the pitch to a Darren Stevens delivery.

The Hampshire fans finally had something to cheer when Nic Pothas found the boundary, the first since the third over, and Mascarenhas followed suit hitting another four to somewhat rebuild the Hampshire innings. But with 82 on the board Pothas played on for 21 from the bowling of James Tredwell.

New man Dominic Cork smashed Tredwell for a 6 then Mascarenhas also hit a maximum as the pair brought up Hampshire’s 100 in the 19th over. Mascarenhas finished on 45 not out and Cork 18 as the pair used all of their experience to put on a 49 run partnership that gave Hampshire a fighting chance.

With the momentum firmly in the Hawks’ favour it was the turn of their bowlers to help turn the result around. Joe Denly and Key started conservatively at the beginning of the innings, obviously keen not to give away their wickets in careless fashion.

Key delivered the first blow, flicking Cork for four, but he was soon back in the pavilion as Mascarenhas sent his off stump tumbling with a brutal delivery for just 8. His fellow opener Denly (9) was following him in the next over as Cork had him lbw with a cracking delivery from the veteran.

Kent’s start gave plenty of encouragement for the Hampshire bowlers, and even more success was to come with the introduction of Chris Tremlett. The England bowler, fresh from his 2 for 28 against Middlesex, clean bowled Martin van Jaarsveld for 7 in a hostile opening over.

Kent were 4 runs ahead of Hampshire at the end of the powerplay after stumbling to 34 for 3.

With The Rose Bowl crowd now in jubilant mood it was important Hampshire continued the momentum but a dropped catch by Cork from Geraint Jones didn’t help their cause as it seemed to swing the momentum back in the visitors’ favour. Kent surpassed 50 in the 9th over with Jones and Stevens continuing to chase down the target with minimal risk taken.

Even the introduction of Ervine could do nothing to change the Hawks’ fortunes, as the all rounder was dispatched for two successive sixes by Stevens. Stevens recorded his fifth Twenty20 fifty with a boundary off Tremlett, and in doing so pushed Kent beyond 100; now needing less than a run a ball for the remainder of the innings.

A series of dropped catches in the final overs compounded this disappointing result which was confirmed by Jones who flicked a single through mid wicket to finish on 35 not out, with man of the match Stevens finishing with a brilliant 62.

Hampshire now face Essex at Chelmsford on Sunday in a winner takes all South Division match for the right to take a place in the quarter finals of the Twenty20 Cup.

Match report by Steve Woodgate and Nick Howson.

(Written for www.rosebowlplc.com)