HAMPSHIRE HAWKS (177-6) BEAT SURREY BROWN CAPS (175-6) BY FOUR WICKETS

 REPORT BY BBC RADIO SOLENT'S KRIS TEMPLE AT THE OVAL

Hampshire recorded a third win in the Twenty20 Cup, to keep their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the competition very much alive. The Hawks saw off the Surrey Brown Caps in another tense encounter at The Oval, winning by four wickets with an over to spare.

Having decided to bat first, Surrey were rocked early on by the first-ball departure of the dangerous Ali Brown, well caught at slip by Ian Harvey. Billy Taylor and Greg Lamb then picked up a wicket apiece to leave the hosts 58 for 3 after eight overs. Then came the partnership which enabled Surrey to post any sort of competitive total. The irrepressible Mark Ramprakash was joined by Pakistani import Abdul Razzaq, and the pair proceeded to hit a half-century each. Having made sedate progress to reach 89 for 3 from 12 overs, Razzaq in particular pressed the accelerator, hammering Nantie Hayward for three sixes in one over. When Hayward broke the partnership by taking a return catch from Ramprakash (60), Razzaq continued to blast the ball around the ground. He was dropped by Sean Ervine at long-on, before the same fielder made no mistake in the final over, Razzaq departing for 65. The Hawks' overseas signing Ian Harvey found some of the luck that had deserted him at Canterbury on Monday, returning 2 for 20 from his four overs, with the final over of the innings costing just one run.

Good starts have formed the backbone of Hampshire's successes in the short format this season, so losing Harvey in the first over of the reply was a setback. The Australian looked less than amused with the LBW decision given against him. There's no stopping Michael Lumb at the moment though, and he once again put the bowlers to the sword, blitzing 45 from just 21 balls, including nine fours and a six. He was undone by the wily Saqlain Mushtaq, before Chris Benham failed to arrest his disappointing form, holing out off the same bowler for 6.

 With two other in-form batsmen now at the crease, in the shape of Ervine and Michael Carberry, Hampshire were still very much in the hunt, and taking 22 from one Pedro Collins strengthened their position. Carberry though was another to look underwhelmed at an umpire's decision when adjudged stumped for 45, and when Hawks' skipper Nic Pothas followed immediately for a duck, the Brown Caps maybe had the edge.

Step up Ervine though with the biggest six of the night, travelling fully eighty yards over the deep square-leg boundary. He oversaw proceedings with Zimbabwean compatriot Greg Lamb, but with the rate down to less than one-a-ball, Ervine skied to be caught at long-off for 46 from 28 balls. Lamb and Liam Dawson nudged Hampshire across the line with an over to spare, to take the Hawks to their third win in the last four matches.

Skipper Pothas reflected on his team's performance with BBC Radio Solent after the game:

"Today we didn't play as much as we possibly could. We maybe didn't execute our plans as well as we wanted, but you can't say enough about Michael Lumb, Michael Carberry and Sean Ervine. They've been absolutely phenomenal. We're loving playing our cricket, we're enjoying Twenty20, and bring on Friday night. It'll be a humdinger! "

In-form batsman Carberry - the first Hampshire player to pass 200 runs in the competition this season - told BBC Radio Solent: "It's funny how form goes. It hasn't been the best of start to the seasons for me in the other competitions, but I guess I've relaxed in the Twenty20. My team-mates have backed me though, and it's nice to repay them by showing what i'm capable of."

Next up for Hampshire is the local derby against the Sussex Sharks on Friday 20th.  You can hear ball by ball commentary on BBC Radio Solent from 7pm.  Follow the BBC Radio Solent link from our hompage to listen live. 

Come to The Rose Bowl to support the Hawks against their south coast rivals in a clash that promises to be the most explosive match of their Twenty20 Cup campaign.  Tickets are still available for the highest selling domestic match in Hampsire's history.

The action starts at 7:00pm and tickets cost £15* per adult in advance, £20 on the day and only £5 for juniors.

Twenty20 Cup Information and Ticket Sales

(* Advance sales of adult tickets are subject to a £1 booking fee)

 Scorecard

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