Hampshire maintain their promotion push
Sun, Aug 27 Hampshire v Leicestershire
Hampshire maintained their promotion push with a decisive 45-run victory at Leicester in Sunday's NatWest Pro40 League Division 2 match.
Put in to bat, Hampshire totalled 239-5 after hammering 61 runs off the last five overs and then bowled out Leicestershire for 194 in the 37th over.
Michael Carberry (74) and Chris Benham (63) led the way for Hampshire with a superb second-wicket stand of 132. But they had to battle through a testing opening session when the ball was seaming and batting was difficult.
Both players finally fell to Claude Henderson, the South African left-arm spinner, in the 30th over. Benham was stumped going down the track and Carberry was caught on the mid-wicket boundary.
But Dominic Thornely, who finished with an unbeaten 45, and Dimi Mascarenhas (32) then launched a spectacular late onslaught. Their partnership of 65 came off six overs.
When Leicestershire batted, paceman Chris Tremlett made immediate inroads for Hampshire by dismissing Darren Robinson and Hylton Ackerman in the same over. Mascarenhas and Billy Taylor then got among the wickets as the home side lurched to 49-5 in the 17th over. Taylor's six overs cost just 12 runs.
Skipper Jeremy Snape scored 30 before becoming Mascarenhas' third victim and John Sadler's spirited, hard-hitting 68 made the margin of the home side's fifth successive Pro40 defeat more respectable.
Tremlett, back in the Hampshire attack, removed Sadler and then polished off the innings to claim his fourth wicket and figures of 4-35.
"The result was very pleasing and to score 239 runs was a bonus," said Hampshire team manager Paul Terry. "With cracks on the pitch batting was never easy, especially early on with the ball moving around."
HAMPSHIRE 239-5 (50 overs): Carberry 74, Benham 63, Thornely 45 not out, Mascarenhas 32, Henderson 4-31. Leicestershire 194 (36.4 overs): Sadler 68, Tremlett 4-35, Mascarenhas 3-41, Udal 2-57, Taylor 1-12.
* Hampshire's next Pro40 match is away to high-flying Gloucestershire under the Bristol floodlights on Monday, September 4.
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