Hampshire v Warwickshire Friends Provident Semi-Final 20th June
Man of the Match Crawley top scored 65 for the Hawks (Photo - jasonpix.co.uk)
HAMPSHIRE REACH LORD'S FINAL
Hampshire's John Crawley picked up the man-of-the-match award after top-scoring with 65 in a 40-run victory over Warwickshire in Wednesday's Friends Provident Trophy semi-final at The Rose Bowl.
Shane Warne's men will now meet Durham in the August 18th final at Lord's, where Hampshire won the competition in 2005.
Hampshire, who chose to bat first, totalled 206-7 off their 50 overs before dismissing Warwickshire for 166 in the 44th over.
Opener Crawley, whose stylish innings contained eight fours, was fourth out as Hampshire wobbled, slipping from 89-2 to 134-6.
Kevin Pietersen, who flew down from Durham after playing for England the previous day, drove a catch to mid-off after making 18. Crawley and Sean Ervine (12) then both ran themselves out coming back for a second run and Chris Tremlett, having scored 12 after being pushed up the order, was stumped off a leg-side wide.
But Nic Pothas, who finished with an unbeaten 40, and Dimi Mascarenhas (26) then shared an important seventh-wicket stand of 54.
Warwickshire, who left out England batsman Ian Bell, then found themselves 28-2 in reply as the inspired Crawley held two catches at backward point.The first was a blinding one-handed effort.
Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka star, revived the innings by scoring 44 before he was fifth out at 110. He was undone by an all-Zimbabwe affair, substitute Greg Lamb holding a smart low catch at mid-wicket to provide Ervine with the first of two wickets in an over.
Tim Ambrose, who made 41, fought to hold Hampshire at bay as wickets fell around him before he was last man out. That gave paceman Stuart Clark a third wicket in his last appearance before returning to Australia.
Warne, Ervine and Dimi Mascarenhas all took two wickets.
HAMPSHIRE 206-7 (50 overs): Crawley 65, Pothas 40 not out. WARWICKSHIRE 166 (43.3 overs): Sangakkara 44, Ambrose 41, Clark 3-38, Ervine 2-13, Mascarenhas 2-30, Warne 2-37.
HAMPSHIRE won by 40 runs.
* Durham edged into their first final after beating Essex by three wickets in an extraordinary, low-scoring match at Chester-le-Street. Essex were shot out for 71 as Liam Plunkett took 4-15 and Durham finished on 72-7, having been 38-7 before Plunkett came in to score an unbeaten 30.
Read Simon Walter's Match Report on The Southern Daily Echo online
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