Hampshire began their quest to make up for Sunday’s wash-out against Ireland in the field, as Nottinghamshire skipper Chris Read won the toss and chose to bat. It was a momentous day for 18 year old left-arm spinner Danny Briggs as the England Under 17 international made his debut for The Hawks at a chilly Rose Bowl.

 Returning Hawk’s skipper Dimitri Mascarenhas made an immediate impact by nipping out Mark Wagh and Ali Brown in his first two overs. The visitors reeling at 7 for 2.

This brought Samit Patel to the crease and straight away he survived a huge lbw appeal off Dominic Cork. Patel responded by crashing the previously frugal Mascarenhas through the covers for four to register the game’s first boundary.

Mascarenhas was unperturbed and his dream return from the Indian Premier League continued as he had Alex Hales caught low at first slip by Michael Lumb for 6. The Outlaws were imploding and Cork then captured the prize scalp of in-form Australian Adam Voges for a first ball duck. After 8 overs they had limped to 28 for 4 and made a mockery of Read’s decision to bat first.

The evergreen Cork got in on the act again when Patel tamely chipped to Liam Dawson at square-leg, the mainstay of this disastrous innings was gone for 13; Notts  47 for 5.

Read nearly perished second ball when Burrows claimed a spectacular one-handed catch off the irrepressible Mascarenhas. Read was sure the ball hadn’t carried and after a short consultation the umpires agreed and gave him not out. It proved to be a brief stay of execution as soon after, he holed out to Chris Benham for a duck to give Mascarenhas his fourth wicket. Notts now in the depths of despair at 50 for 6 off 15 overs.

Hampshire’s skipper bowled his entire 10 overs consecutively and finished with 4-39.

A sedate period of play followed as the Notts pair surveyed the wreckage of the innings and set about trying to rectify it. They dealt in ones and twos and after 25 overs had taken the score to 84 for 6. Debutant Briggs was brought in to the attack and nearly had the dream start to his First XI career with a huge lbw shout against Jefferson, but it was turned down by umpire Robinson.

Jefferson raised the Outlaws’ 100 and the 50 partnership with a massive six off Liam Dawson, Hampshire had now turned to spin at both ends in a bid to break the frustrating partnership. Jefferson went through to a well crafted 50 in the 34th over, Notts recovering at 121 for 6.

Franks was giving Jefferson admirable support and raised his own 50 off 77 balls. Billy Taylor came back into the attack and straight away picked up Franks’ wicket, the score now 144 for 7 in the 39th over. Taylor was at it again in his next over when Mark Ealham got a thin edge through to Burrows. 

Andre Adams strode to the crease and promptly launched Taylor into the top tier of the Atrium for an enormous six, but then became Taylor’s third victim when Burrows took a smart catch standing up to the stumps.
Nottinghamshire took the batting powerplay with their hopes resting on Jefferson to get them up to a competitive total.

Jefferson seemed up to the task, sweetly timing Briggs for a boundary and easing Taylor over mid-wicket for six. The innings finally came to close in the 50th over when Cork yorked Jefferson (who had been dropped on 1) for 93, Nottinghamshire setting the hosts a target of 203.

Lumb got the Hawks’ run chase off to a brisk start with three sublime off-side boundaries, two of which came off England seamer Ryan Sidebottom. Crawley started slowly but soon got into his stride with an exquisite cover-drive off Ealham and a glorious drive down the ground off Sidebottom. Ealham was to suffer in his next over as Lumb took him for back-to-back boundaries; he looked in supreme touch and was picking up from where he left off with his career-best First Class score of 172 against Loughborough UCCE last week.

The hosts moved serenely to 50 without loss in the 12th over with Lumb on 33 and Crawley on 17. Notts made the much needed breakthrough in the 16th when Crawley chipped Ealham to Brown at extra cover to leave Hampshire 68 for 1.

In-form Sean Ervine came to the crease and signalled his intentions with a reverse sweep off Patel for four. Lumb looked in complete control and went through to a classy half century off just 55 balls. After 22 overs The Hawks were winning the game hands down on 98 for 1 and Ervine raised the 100 by slamming Franks over square leg for a maximum.  Lumb’s fine knock came to an end on 57 when Patel trapped him lbw - Hampshire 110 for 2.

Ervine was looking to finish off the game in a hurry and he welcomed Sidebottom back into the attack by straight driving him for four. Sidebottom got his revenge soon after when he breached Ervine’s defences - Hawks now 118 for 3. The England left-armer was incensed two balls later when Benham was given not out following a massive appeal for caught behind. 

Michael Carberry and Chris Benham calmed any nerves that may have crept into the home side’s dressing room by leading them to 156 for 3 after 34 overs. Benham, who has been Hampshire’s match winner twice in this season’s competition, was looking at ease with a series of fluent strokes. Sidebottom returned to dismiss Benham for 30 but the hosts needed just 19 more with 11 overs remaining.

Carberry and Dawson saw Hampshire over the winning line to a comprehensive six wicket win. It was a superb all-round performance from The Hawks and it saw them go top of Friends Provident Trophy Group A with a much improved chance of qualifying for the quarter finals.
 
Match report by Neil Evans.

 

 

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