On This Day: Final Ball Thriller

Hampshire Cricket's historian Dave Allen takes a look back on timely memorable moments in his ‘On This Day’ series.

Final Ball Thriller - Hampshire v Warwickshire, Clydesdale Bank 40 (Group Stage) – 24th April 2011

Warwickshire won the toss and invited Hampshire to bat first, which they did to some good effect. Jimmy Adams and new signing Johannes Myburgh (64) opened with 76, while a second wicket at 110 brought Neil McKenzie to the crease, and his 87*, plus 40 from Liam Dawson took Hampshire to a good total of 274-5. McKenzie smashed 24 from the final over bowled by Boyd Rankin - a return which would be absolutely crucial. Keith Barker was the one Warwickshire bowler to take more than one wicket (2-56).

By contrast, Warwickshire struggled initially. With wickets for Simon Jones, Dominic Cork and Sean Ervine, they were 22-2, 48-3 and 111-5 (Chopra, run out 54) but their middle and later order staged a recovery as England cricketers Darren Maddy (49), Rikki Clarke (59) and Chris Woakes (34*) kept the target in sight, although another run out, and a stumping by Bates off Briggs saw the seventh wicket fall with 60 still needed. 

At this point the recall of man-of-the-match Simon Jones (4-52) was important, although Botha and 'keeper Johnson helped Woakes to edge the score closer - 234-8 became 261-9 and Cork bowled the final over with 14 needed. Woakes hit a six and it came down to him needing to hit a boundary four from the last ball - but he failed, it was a dot ball, and Hampshire had won.

Neither Hampshire nor Warwickshire qualified for the semi-finals in 2011, but you might remember that they met again about 16 months later in a rather special day at Lord's.