Dave Allen: Hampshire At Hove

We have played Sussex every year starting with our first-ever T20 match in 2003 at the Rose Bowl, and our overall record is Won 15; Lost 11 with one that started with No Result, and five Abandoned with no play.

In 2004, our first visit to Hove was a record-breaking match as ‘Dimi’ Mascarenhas took 5-14 including a hat-trick – his figures our still our best overall in T20 matches. We dismissed Sussex for 67 in the 15th over but struggled to win it, collapsing to 16-4 and reaching 69-7 with just one over to spare – James Kirtley took 2-8 in his four overs.

Rain reduced Hove in 2005 to 12 overs each and Sussex won by 10 runs despite a fine all-round display by Sean Ervine with 2-28 and 46. In 2006 we went to Arundel where Greg Lamb hit 55* but Mushtaq’s 4-30 restricted us to 152-6 and Sussex won with five balls to spare. They hammered us at Hove in 2007, Luke Wright’s 98 taking them to their record score against Hampshire of 205-5 and we fell 73 short. Remarkably, they scored just one fewer the following year but this time everyone reached double figures with Carberry’s 58 leading Hampshire to a last-ball win and our record score.

In 2009, our 122-7 was nowhere near enough and Chris Nash (56*) led Sussex to an eight wicket win with 17 balls left, but if that was disappointing in 2010 they passed our 132-8 in the 12th over, having lost just one wicket (Murray Goodwin 76*). Despite this setback we went on to win the trophy. James Vince (85*) and Neil McKenzie (45*) turned things around at Hove in 2011 and after posting 193-3, Briggs (4-17) bowled out his future team-mates for just 81.

The rain prevented a start at Hove in 2012, but we were Champions again, and we won by five wickets in 2013 (McKenzie 71*), while 52 from Vince led an 18-run victory at Hove in 2014. 2015 at Hove was a terrific match, with Sussex falling just four runs short of our 204-3 (Vince with our record v Sussex of 90*, plus Wheater 51 and Wood 3-40). 2016 was a lower-scoring but even closer game as Sussex needed three to win from the last three balls, but two run-outs gave Hampshire victory by one run.

Vince with 81 was in fine form again at Hove in 2017 and Abbott’s 3-22 ensured a victory by 19 runs, but the rain wiped out the Hove meeting in 2018, while last year, Phil Salt’s 73 set a target of 189, after which two former Hampshire bowlers Topley (4-33) and Briggs (3-35) ensured a home Hove victory.