Hampshire Hawks Snatch Victory on Final Ball against GloucestershireHampshire Hawks Snatch Victory on Final Ball against Gloucestershire By Connor Steel Hampshire Hawks kept their playoff hopes alive with a thrilling five-wicket victory over Gloucestershire in the Vitality Blast on Friday night. Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft got the visitors off to a strong start, scoring 49 without loss after the powerplay. Hammond reached his fifty, but Gloucestershire lost four quick wickets to Brad Wheal and John Turner, leaving them 125-4. Ben Charlesworth added some resistance with 39, but the innings ended at 176-9 when he was dismissed on the final ball. In reply, Ben McDermott and James Vince started quickly for Hampshire, but both fell before the powerplay was over. Tom Smith and de Lange took two wickets each, leaving the hosts struggling on 76-4. However, Benny Howell turned the tide with two big sixes and several boundaries. He was supported by James Fuller, who added an unbeaten 20. Howell hit the winning runs off the final ball, keeping Hampshire’s slim hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive. They now move up to sixth in the South Group and face Somerset, Surrey, and Essex in their remaining fixtures. James Fuller and Benny Howell celebrated the win in front of a packed crowd at the Utilita Bowl.
By Connor Steel
HAMPSHIRE HAWKS did enough to keep their faint hopes of progressing to the Vitality Blast quarter-finals alive when they hosted Gloucestershire on Friday night, eventually completing their victory by five wickets in a topsy-turfy and highly enjoyable encounter that was ultimately decided on the final delivery in front of a capacity crowd at the Utilita Bowl.
The visitors started well as Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft survived some tricky opening periods to end the batting powerplay on 49-0, both batters hitting some fine boundaries against some good bowling. This duo continued as they passed the halfway point of the innings to reach 92-0 for the first wicket, Bancroft (34) falling to Benny Howell.
Hammond celebrated his fiftieth by surviving a couple of drops in a thirty-three-run partnership with Beau Webster that lasted until the fifteenth over; the former became Howell’s second victim for sixty-six runs at 125-2. Webster (16) was then dismissed by Dawson and Jack Taylor (2) followed when he rounded John Turner’s ball; while Ben Charlesworth hit two fours.
This ‘collapse’ of batting continued as they lost four more wickets in twelve balls to the bowling of Brad Wheal and Turner; Ollie Price, James Bracey, Matt Taylor and Marchant de Lange all went down in the 19th over. Charlesworth did offer some resistance when he hit three sixes in his 39; but went down on the last ball and their innings ended at 176-9.
In response, Ben McDermott hit a huge straight maximum and a four while partnering James Vince; the captain hit three brilliantly placed boundaries from eighteen balls in a lightning-fast start for Hampshire. They nearly survived the powerplay period, but Vince attempted a pull shot from Matt Taylor’s delivery but was caught for 21 runs to make it 49-1.
This was the beginning of the Hawks’ run rate decline and led to their second wicket when Tom Smith removed Tom Prest (3) with a good in-swinging delivery; the bowler dismissed McDermott (32). A fourth wicket followed when de Lange took the scalp of Toby Albert inside twelve overs; leaving the hosts 76-4 with a total of 101 needed for victory.
However, a blast from Howell changed this ‘momentum’ as he added two successive sixes in an over that yielded twenty-two; the batsman extended his attack with more boundaries either side of Joe Weatherley’s wicket for 22 runs. James Fuller added an unbeaten 20 runs in nine balls as Howell ended on 62* including the winning strike off the last ball.
Victory for Hampshire means they move up to sixth in the South Group after 11 games; but they will likely need to win their next three games and hope the other teams’ results go in their favour if they are to reach the last eight. A home game against Somerset awaits on Sunday afternoon, before draws against Surrey and Essex conclude this round.
PHOTO BY HAMPSHIRE HAWKS: James Fuller and Benny Howell celebrate theis the last ball victory in front of the audience.
