On This Day: Vitality Blast Points Shared At Chelmsford

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

Hampshire (170-5) v Essex Eagles (170-8) , Vitality Blast, Chelmsford: 21 July 2018

Hampshire opened 2019 with three T20 defeats, before meeting Middlesex and moving on to ‘Fortress’ Chelmsford, where they won the toss, batted and immediately lost their captain Vince.

Northeast and Munro (38) took the score to 53 but Rossouw and Alsop went quickly, leaving Hampshire on 70-4. Northeast held firm with 70* from 50 balls, and found good support from Dawson (32) as Hampshire set Essex a target of 171 (Zampa 2-30).

Adam Wheater, back at his first club opened with 22 from 14 balls but soon lost Chopra and Westley, and Essex were 37-3 at the start of the sixth over.

Dan Lawrence (49) then marshalled the batting supported by 23 from ten Doeschate and a bright knock from Bopara, but when Essex lost Harmer they needed 27 from 11 balls and thanks to Bopara (39 from 26) they nearly made it – he was run out by Munro going for the winning run from the final ball and the match was tied.

In the event, neither side qualified for the quarter-finals.