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By Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Tristan Stubbs hammered a formidable 69 less than 24 hours after jetting in from the IPL to hand Hampshire Hawks their first Vitality Blast men’s competition win of the summer.
South African Stubbs had a quiet IPL for the Delhi Capitals but grew through his innings before ending up with five sixes in a 42-ball 69.
He had been assisted by Joe Weatherley and fellow overseas Hilton Cartwright in contrasting 64 and 84 run partnerships.
The 201 set to win was always above par and Scott Currie’s personal best four for 18 made sure that last year’s runners-up Hampshire made it five home T20 wins over Essex in a row.
Hampshire’s innings had two distinct sections. A scrappy half where every run had to be fought for, and then the other, where fun was the operative word.
Having been stuck in, James Vince middled two gorgeous fours before he and opening partner Toby Albert were caught pulling Charlie Bennett – who bowled better than his two for 44 suggested.
Tom Prest also holed out but Joe Weatherley and Stubbs grafted in a 64 partnership to put Hampshire in the right direction for some death over destruction.
And when Weatherley found long on, the two overseas players Stubbs and Cartwright pumped out 84 in the final 37 balls.
Stubbs took down Luc Benkenstein with a pair of sixes down the ground to kick-start a final four over splash of 70 runs.
Wiaan Mulder was next in the firing line as Cartwright took centre stage in a 22-run over before two more to reach 200 – which hadn’t looked likely at 80 for three at the halfway point.
Essex’s chase struggled to ignite as Wood stifled the powerplay, picking up Paul Walter to a fantastic low diving catch from Vince, and then bowling Matt Critchley.
Currie had Michael Pepper caught on the long on boundary to leave Essex 41 for three.
Despite Benkenstein threatening to play a Stubbs’ like innings but couldn’t find a Weatherley or a Cartwright to go with him in his 31-ball 48.
But Currie returned with wickets in three successive overs to seal Essex’s fate – with Noah Thain and Benkenstein caught swinging and Simon Fernandes bowled.
Simon Harmer stuck some late sixes but the game had long since drifted out of Eagles' grasp.
