Hawks ease to Essex thrashing in Blast opener
By Connor Steel
HAMPSHIRE HAWKS began their 2025 Vitality Blast Campaign with a fine flourish as they played Essex Eagles in the group stage opener on Friday evening (May 30); comprehensively beating their Southern opponents by a large margin of 106 runs following an outstanding performance with bat and ball in front of a boisterous crowd at the dry Utilita Bowl.
The hosts started brilliantly with James Vince and Toby Albert at the crease; this pair hitting multiple boundaries during the powerplay including twelve for this latter as he passed a half century in six overs. Their partnership reached ninety seven runs before Vince (62) was caught off Matt Critchley’s delivery, whilst Dewald Brevis stroked this first ball for six.
Brevis followed it up with another five maximums in a stand of eighty runs alongside Albert who was playing an anchor role as he reached his fifty in 28 deliveries. His partner followed this achievement in just 21 balls before Albert was out playing a yorker delivery by Simon Harmer for 54; Brevis (68) departing to leave Hampshire on 187-3 with 22 balls left.
The bowling comeback continued with dismissals of Benny Howell (11), Joe Weatherley (3), James Fuller (4) and Tom Prest (3); these wickets being shared by Paul Walter and Mohammad Amir to leave this score 215-7. And three placed boundaries from Liam Dawson (19*) during the last over only piled this pressure on as Hampshire concluded on 230-7.
Essex could not have made a worst start in response as Dean Elgar was run out from the second ball by a sensational Vince “direct hit” to make it 1-1; which moved to 41-2 when Adam Rossington (18) was caught in this powerplay. It was followed by a stubborn partnership between Walter and Pepper; who scored his fifty as they were 91-2 in the 12th over.
Walter then attempted to blast an effort into deep square and was caught by the fielder to make it 91-3, which soon got worse as Essex were pushing to accelerate and saw Critchley depart for four off Currie. Dawson picked up the bowling impetus as he had another two big wickets in the thirteenth over; this spinner dismissing Charlie Allison (4) and Pepper.
Luc Benkenstein moved this team past one hundred before he fell to Benny Howell’s bowling whilst Dawson picked up the wickets of Shane Snater (5) and Harmer (2) within four balls to leave Essex on 111-9. Sam Cook (9*) offered some late resistance and hit a cracking boundary but he ran out of partners as Amir was dismissed by Currie to seal this win.
The nature of this success will boost Hampshire after a disappointing 2024 competition and gives them a huge net-run-rate after just one match; which the team will hope to maintain when they travel to Surrey next Thursday. They will then return to Southampton as they face ‘current champions’ Gloucestershire on Friday (June 6) in a very hectic T20 period.
PICTURED BY ALAMY (3BF64PA): Hampshire bowlers in action as hosts dominate Essex in their Vitality Blast opener.