Lamb inspires Hampshire to play-off

Sun, Sep 17  Hampshire v Yorkshire

Hampshire will host the first-ever play-off in English cricket when they meet Glamorgan at The Rose Bowl next Sunday. The prize for the winners of this sudden-death clash will be a place in Division 1 of the NatWest Pro40 League next season.

Against all the odds, Hampshire pipped Surrey on run-rate for third place in Division 2 after they finished level on points. Hampshire edged out Yorkshire by five runs in a thriller at Headingley, while Surrey crashed to a surprise seven-wicket defeat by Somerset at Taunton ..

With skipper Shane Warne out of the team after his recent facial injury, Hampshire totalled 220-9 and then bowled out Yorkshire for 215 with two balls to spare.

Man-of-the-match Greg Lamb top-scored for Hampshire with 64 on his recall and shared a fourth-wicket stand of 103 with Dominic Thornely who made 60 for the third successive time in this competition.

Craig White, the Yorkshire captain, cracked 50 off 40 balls and Hampshire were in trouble when the home side reached 161-4, needing another 60 runs with nine overs left.

The 37th over, from Billy Taylor, cost 19 runs as Tim Bresnan hoisted two successive sixes over mid-wicket. That left Yorkshire needing 22 runs off the last three overs with five wickets in hand and then it was down to nine off the last over with three wickets still standing.

But amid an electric atmosphere Lamb, the sixth bowler used and who had already taken two wickets and bowled a crucial maiden, claimed two more victims in an extraordinary final over that included a sharp catch by Warne, on as a substitute fielder, and a bizarre run-out.

HAMPSHIRE 220-9 (40 overs): Lamb 64, Thornely 60, Crawley 26, Pothas 21 not out, Bresnan 3-46, Patterson 2-31. YORKSHIRE 215 (39.4 overs): White 50, Gale 36, Lumb 33, Lamb 4-38, Udal 2-34.

View scorecard

Provide Feedback