Match Previews: Sussex Sharks v Hampshire Hawks Men and Hawks v Somerset, Vitality Blast

Sussex Sharks v Hampshire Hawks Men

Vitality Blast

Saturday 5th July (7pm start)

1^st Central County Ground, Hove

Hawks Men return to Vitality Blast action as they head to Hove to face Sussex Sharks in the first leg of el clasicoast.

James Vince’s side currently sit in sixth place with three wins from their eight games, and will be hoping that new signings Chris Lynn and Hilton Cartwright can propel the Hawks back into the top four.

In their last outing, the Hawks ran Gloucestershire all the way in a low scoring thriller at Bristol, with Benny Howell’s 2-22 from four overs almost seeing the Hawks over the line.

Sussex Sharks were in action last night, against Kent Spitfires, where they returned from Canterbury with four points after 48 (28) from Dan Hughes and 43 (25) from Tom Clark took the Sharks to 195-9 before Danny Lamb’s 5-15 helped skittle the Spitfires for 161.

Sussex Sharks

Captain: Tymal Mills

Overseas players: Nathan McAndrew (Australia, all group stage), Gurinder Sandhu (Australia, all group stage), Daniel Hughes (Australia, full competition).

Finals Day appearances: Six (2007, 2009, 2012, 2018, 2021, 2024).

Titles: One (2009)

2024 finish: Semi-finalists

2025 leading run scorer: James Coles (233)

2025 leading wicket taker: Nathan McAndrew (15)

Key winter moves: No major changes. Tall Australian seamer Gurinder Sandhu, who has played for three teams in the Big Bash, has mainly been signed for red-ball cricket in June and July but will be another option for Mills.

The big question: Mills was outstanding in his first season as captain. Calm and composed under pressure, he revelled in the responsibility, and rather than affecting his bowling he finished with 24 wickets – more than any other Sussex bowler and his most productive season since debut 14 years earlier. He will relish the opportunity to prove that reaching Finals Day was no fluke and going one better than the semi-finals.

Wildcard watch: Harrison Ward has been on Sussex’s staff since 2021 but until last season didn’t seem to have a defined role and sometimes came in as low as number eight. Mills gave him clarity by making him Hughes’ opening partner and he responded with 350 runs, three fifies and a strike rate of 157.65, form that earned him a chance in The Hundred.

Final thought: Sussex were unexpected semi-finalists last year, having won ten games out of 28 in the previous two seasons, but Mills led them superbly and with virtually the same squad there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be competitive. Head coach Paul Farbrace has set the bar high again, and both he and Mills will regard not reaching the knockout stages at least as failure.

Head-to-Head

Hampshire Hawks Men’s record in Vitality Blast matches v Sussex Sharks:

Last five meetings:

• July 10 2024 | 1^st Central County Ground, Hove | Sussex won by 22 runs
• June 21 2024 | Utilita Bowl | Sussex won by seven runs
• June 16 2023 | 1^st Central County Ground, Hove | Sussex won by six runs
• June 3 2023 | Utilita Bowl | Hampshire won by 10 wickets (with 31 balls remaining)
• July 3 2022 | 1^st Central County Ground, Hove | Hampshire won by five wickets (with five balls remaining)

Tickets

Tickets for Hampshire Hawks Men’s Vitality Blast match against Sussex are available here.

Coverage

Sussex Sharks v Hampshire Hawks Men will be televised on Sky Sports and there will be no live stream. BBC Radio Solent will be providing ball-by-ball commentary of both matches, available to listen on the BBC Sport website and app.

A live match centre with the scorecard, statistics and insight available throughout the match at www.utilitabowl.com/news.

Weather Forecast

Please follow the link to view the latest weather forecast for Hove: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2646504.

Hampshire Hawks v Somerset

Vitality Blast

Sunday 6th July

10am – gates open

11am – women’s match

3pm – men’s match

Utilita Bowl

Hampshire Hawks face Somerset in a double header at Utilita Bowl on Sunday 6^th July.

The match is the first chance Hawks fans have to watch Ellyse Perry at home after she made her debut for the club at Chesterfield on Friday, where she claimed a wicket with her first ball bowled and hit a boundary with her first ball faced.

Hawks Women finished on the right side of a final over thriller last time out against Somerset, as they won by five runs at Taunton a few weeks ago, but will be looking to bounce back from Friday’s defeat with a lot of work needed to get into the top three places to qualify for Finals Day at the Oval on 27^th July.

Hawks Men were defeated by Somerset in their previous fixture despite a half-century from the captain, James Vince. The team sit six points outside of the qualification spots, but have a greater net run rate than the two teams above – Glamorgan and Kent.

Hampshire Hawks Squads

Hampshire Hawks Women have named a 13-player squad for their Vitality Blast match against Somerset.

Poppy Tulloch returns on loan to Glamorgan and is the only change from the squad that faced The Blaze yesterday.

Hampshire Hawks Women Squad for Somerset

Hampshire Hawks Men have named a 14-player squad for their matches against Sussex Sharks and Somerset.

Sonny Baker returns having recovered from injury whilst he was with England Lions, whilst Chris Lynn and Hilton Cartwright are set to make their Hawks debuts after Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis were called up for international duty.

Hampshire Hawks Men Squad for Sussex Sharks and Somerset

The Opposition

Somerset Women

Captain: Sophie Luff

Overseas players: Amanda-Jade Wellington (Australia, full competition)

2025 leading run-scorer: Bex Odgers (149)

2025 leading wicket-taker: Charlie Dean, Mollie Robbins (7)

Key winter moves: Seam bowlers Laura Jackson and Ellie Anderson have been recruited to provide a cutting edge with the new ball, while England international spinning all-rounder Charlie Dean was brought in to add star quality. Perhaps more significantly, the services of Australian leg spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington, a proven match-winner at this level, were secured for a second season.

The big question: Although competitive for the most part in their previous guise as Western Storm, a relatively inexperienced side tended to come up just short in close matches. Can this revamped Somerset squad improve on that record and demonstrate the knowhow needed to challenge for the latter stages?

Wildcard watch: Alex Griffiths. Thrust into the role vacated by the injured Dani Gibson, the talented Welsh all-rounder is ready to realise her full potential. Adept at bowling seam up under pressure during the death overs, she now possesses the range of shots and confidence required to be an effective finisher with the bat.

Final thought: A series of shrewd signings and the availability of their international players has transformed erstwhile strugglers into more consistent performers in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup this season. Confidence and momentum gained from a series of impressive victories in the 50-over competition can now be harnessed to render Somerset competitive in the short format. As ever, much will depend on the form of overseas star Amanda-Jade Wellington and the availability of England pair Heather Knight and Charlie Dean.

Somerset Men

Captain: Lewis Gregory

Overseas players: Riley Meredith (Australia, full competition), Matt Henry (New Zealand, first 11 group matches)

Finals Day appearances: 10 (2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Titles: Two (2005, 2023)

2024 finish: Runners-up

2025 leading run-scorer: Will Smeed (371)

2025 leading wicket-taker: Riley Meredith (21)

Key winter moves: Australia T20 international pace bowler Riley Meredith was signed to replace Kiwi Matt Henry last season. Now both have been recruited to form an exciting new-ball partnership, which promises to be as potent as any in the Blast, with Craig Overton as an accomplished back-up.

The big question: Can the likes of Will Smeed and Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit the ground running with their powerful stroke play, without the benefit of some red-ball cricket behind them this summer? The hugely talented Smeed averaged only 21 in last year’s Blast and needs to reestablish himself as a destroyer at the top of the order.

Wildcard watch: Lewis Goldsworthy has not featured in Championship cricket for Somerset this season, but his ability as a spinner allied to his prowess with the bat could make him a candidate to replace Roelof van der Merwe, whose Somerset T20 career has ended after two impressive spells with the club.

Final thought: The burning memory of a shock defeat by arch-rivals Gloucestershire in last year’s Blast final should be all the incentive Somerset need to drive them to another Finals Day with a team that looks stronger in the bowling department than last season and equally explosive with the bat.

Head-to-Head

Hampshire Hawks Men’s record in Vitality Blast matches v Somerset:

Last five meetings:

• June 19 2025 | Taunton | Somerset won by 17 runs
• July 14 2024 | Utilita Bowl | Somerset won by nine wickets (with 12 balls remaining)
• June 9 2024 | Taunton | Somerset won by 63 runs
• June 7 2023 | Utilita Bowl | Hawks won by five runs
• May 24 2023 | Taunton | Somerset won by eight wickets (with 63 balls remaining)

Tickets

Tickets for Hampshire Hawks’ Vitality Blast double header against Somerset are available here along with four-match bundles available for just £60.

Gates open at 10am, one hour before the start of the women’s match.

Coverage

A live stream will be available for the match and a link to this stream will be available in the at www.utilitabowl.com/cricket, along with a live match centre with the scorecard, statistics and insight available throughout the match.

Weather Forecast

Please follow the link to view the latest weather forecast for Utilita Bowl: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2634447.