Hawks boost knockout hopes in Glamorgan mauling
By Connor Steel
HAMPSHIRE HAWKS further boosted their aims of reaching the Vitality Blast last eight knockouts as they entertained Glamorgan on Thursday evening (July 10); comprehensively sealing a ninety-five run success against this Welsh side following a hugely impressive batting and bowling performance under warming sunny temperatures at the Utilita Bowl.
The hosts decided to bat first and started badly as they lost their first wicket within four deliveries; James Vince sliding behind Imad Wasim after two runs. A recovery followed as Tom Prest and Toby Albert struck five boundaries alongside expert running between the wickets to move them to 42-1, where Ned Leonard bowled the latter to end this powerplay.
Joe Weatherley came to the crease and helped to settle Hampshire into a good rhythm with a finely hit maximum over cover point, which was only one of two boundaries for his 31 runs before he was caught off Ben Kellaway. This left the Hawks on 90-3 in the twelfth over with a great platform set for Albert, who then reached his fifty from thirty-seven balls.
Hilton Cartwright was threatening and exploded this run-rate with some brilliant hitting as he blasted four maximums in his 20-ball innings whilst Albert struck five lovely shots for six. The young duo added 114 runs including ten boundaries in eight overs before Cartwright (48) was out; James Fuller (4*) and Albert (98*) helping to finish their innings on 208-4.
Glamorgan were immediately struggling in response to this huge total as they laboured to 15-0 before losing their first batter in the third over; Chris Wood drawing a shot from Kiran Carlson (7) that was caught. Two wickets fell quickly as Alex Horton (4) was dismissed by Sonny Baker and Fuller bowled Kellaway after three big boundaries to make it 37-3.
Will Smale (15) and Colin Ingram (18) had a brief reply either side of the powerplay as they progressed onto 61-3, but both batsmen were dismissed within six balls from Liam Dawson to give Hampshire the “control” at 62-5. This became 75-6 in the twelfth over as Dan Douthwaite (4) was frustrated and drove to slip where he was caught off Benny Howell.
Asa Tribe (20) and Leonard (0) were then dismissed with the scores becoming 90-8 before some late order resistance halted Hampshire’s victory charge; their ninth wicket pair scoring twenty runs to move Glamorgan past a hundred. But Imad was dismissed off Baker and Wood took the dismissal of Mason Crane to clinch this huge win with two overs left.
Following results in this South Group on Friday (July 11), Hampshire sit third after twelve games and two points ahead of fifth place having played one more match than the other sides. They will conclude their group ties with an encounter against Sussex Sharks at the Utilita Bowl on Sunday afternoon (3pm) and then Essex on Thursday night (Chelmsford).
PICTURED BY ALAMY (3BR2MPX): Dan Douthwaite pulls away yorker from bowler as his team struggle for fast runs.
