On This Day: Vince Leads T20 Chase

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

James Vince (99*) - Kent Spitfires v Hampshire, NatWest T20 Blast, 12th June 2015

Bad weather reduced Hampshire’s T20 fixture against Kent at Canterbury to 18-overs per side on this day in 2015.

Kent, batting first, posted an impressive 183-5, thanks principally to a half-century from their captain, a certain Sam Northeast. Blake added 49* and while Fidel Edwards and Yasir Arafat both took two wickets but they also went at more than 10 runs per over.

In reply, Hampshire lost Michael Carberry with just five runs scored, and Jimmy Adams at 31, but Hampshire’s captain and opening bat, James Vince, more than matched his opposite number.

Owais Shah went at 75-3, but Sean Ervine and Vince added 58, Wheater finished 11* and the only disappointment as Vince took Hampshire to a thrilling victory from the penultimate ball was that having hit five sixes he managed just a four to win it and ended undefeated on 99 - at that point in his career he had not scored a T20 century.

Matt Coles, having returned to his first club from Hampshire, took 2-44.