Hampshire recover to secure Surrey home success
By Connor Steel
HAMPSHIRE HAWKS secured their second successive success in the 2026 Vitality Blast South Group Round as they hosted Surrey at the Utilita Bowl last Friday night (May 29); comfortably winning this tie by 5 wickets with five balls left to play following a brilliant batting recovery that was enjoyed by a busy crowd during a cooler evening in Southampton.
The visitors made a fast start after electing to bat and scored forty runs from just four overs; Jason Roy and Will Jacks combining to hit 21 runs in the third over including many boundaries. But their opening pair was both dismissed before the sixth over as Jacks holed out by Scott Currie for fifteen, whilst Roy (32) was caught off Chris Wood to make it 54-2.
Ollie Pope was soon to fall for Surrey as he was dismissed by seventeen year-old Manny Lumsden in their eighth over and although the batters began to build promising partnerships; regular wickets stemmed this progress. Dan Laurence (17) and Laurie Evans were both caught by Hilton Cartwright off James Fuller, with Sam Curran rotating this strike well.
Tom Curran (7) was caught by Currie before two further ‘victims’ fell in their eighteenth over; Sam Curran being caught for thirty-eight and outstanding fielding removing Sean Abbott (3) for a run-out off the stumps to leave Surrey on 143-8. However they recovered through the efforts of Jordan Clark (34*), who hit thirty runs in the final over to end with 174-8.
In response Hampshire made a rapid start as Toby Albert blasted a trio of maximums off the bowling of Yousef Majid in the second over to reach 21-0 after thirteen balls. However the hosts were also put under pressure as James Vince (2) and Albert (30) were dismissed off Reece Topley, these wickets sandwiching Joe Weatherley’s removal to leave it 35-3.
But the bowler hadn’t accounted for Liam Dawson as he rotated this strike rapidly along with Tom Prest before hitting a four-six combination to end the powerplay on 62-3; the duo continuing the team’s recovery during its middle overs. The pair added fifty-one runs including three maximums in under eight overs, before Prest was caught at deep cover for 25.
Tristan Stubbs picked up the mantle with Dawson as they passed the century mark and beyond; their runs coming over the required rate to push the score past 150-4 with several boundaries scored across eight overs. And although Stubbs was dismissed for 31, Dawson finished not out with seventy-six runs and blasted the sixth maximum to seal this victory.
This home success means that Hampshire are second in the South Group after three matches following the earlier win over Essex and a defeat versus Somerset; this team remaining level with Surrey at the ‘top’ but having a lower net-run-rate. Their next game will see them visit Middlesex on Sunday before they play neighbours Sussex Sharks on Tuesday.
PICTURED BY ALAMY (3EJNMA1): James Fuller prepares to bowl a delivery during the early stages of this encounter.
