Michael Lumb scored Hampshire’s first ever Twenty20 Cup century as The Hawks cruised to a 76 run victory over Essex Eagles at The Rose Bowl. Lumb (124*) and partner Michael Carberry (62) put on 170 runs for the second wicket, a record partnership for the hosts as they destroyed a stunned Essex side.

The Eagles were keen to avenge their defeat to Kent in last year’s semi-final on this ground, but after a defeat at the hands of Sussex in their previous match their form wasn’t the best. Hampshire however came into the match off the back of a 56 run win over Middlesex, and the confidence coming out of that encounter was clear to see in the opening exchanges after The Hawks won the toss and chose to bat.

It soon became apparent the opening partnership of Jimmy Adams and Lumb had no intention of sticking around as they blitzed the visitors bowling in a quick fire 37 run partnership before Adams found Grant Flower on the boundary rope off Maurice Chambers for 17.

The wicket and the introduction of classy spinner Danish Kaneria slowed the run-rate momentarily, but soon Lumb and new batsman Carberry were hitting out, with even the 4,000 bumper crowd having to take cover.

Lumb’s fifty came in the 10th over, and Hampshire’s hundred coming in just the 11th with Carberry dispatching a six off Chris Wright. The landmarks kept tumbling with The Hawks reaching 150 in the 15th over, with another Carberry six, and with the Essex field reeling he completed his own half-century the very next over.

But at the other end history was being made. Lumb, who had held the innings together with some superb hitting, reached his hundred with two overs of the innings to spare, the first ever for a Hampshire player in this shortened form of the game. By the time Carberry was bowled by Kaneria for 62 in the following over, the pair had put on Hampshire’s highest ever Twenty20 partnership of 170.

Hampshire eventually finished the onslaught on 219 for 2, with Lumb unbeaten on 124 – the fourth highest in Twenty20 history, for which he received a standing ovation from a delighted home crowd.

Essex had the daunting task of attempting to make the highest successful chase in Twenty20 Cup history, and their task was made all the more difficult after losing three wickets inside five overs.

First Alistair Cook was out pulling to Cork for just a single, and then Chopra two balls later cut straight to Michael Carberry without scoring. The Essex batting response was summed up by Mark Pettini’s wayward sweep for 9, with Liam Dawson comfortably taking the skipper off Hamza Riazuddin, leaving The Eagles 15 for 3.

Despite the turmoil they were in, Essex did attempt to put up a fight as Grant Flower and Matt Walker steadied the ship, with Walker’s sweep for four off Imran Tahir a particular highlight. But Tahir’s despair was to turn to delight in his next over as he bowled Flower for 27, after the batsman attempted an audacious reverse sweep.

Essex knew risks had to be taken as the run-rate rapidly increased, and Carberry capped a brilliant individual performance with the wicket of James Walker, who had just completed his fifty in 33 balls.

Sean Ervine then started to demolish the tail with three wickets in the space of two overs, first dismissing James Middlebrook for 26, and then bowling Adam Wheater (3) and David Masters (0) in successive balls. Billy Taylor helped take the final two wickets, with Liam Dawson taking his third catch of the innings to dismiss Kaneria for 12, before completing the Essex innings by running out Chambers for 0.

Hampshire completed the emphatic victory with eight balls to spare, winning by 76 runs and boosting their chances of qualification from the Southern Division of the Twenty20 Cup.

 

Match report by Nick Howson and Jane Cable.

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