Report & Reaction: Hampshire Hawks Men v Gloucestershire, Vitality Blast

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John Turner led an outstanding Hampshire Hawks bowling performance to set up a third straight victory to start their Men’s Vitality Blast campaign.

Turner picked up three wickets before Chris Wood, Scott Currie and Benny Howell all snaffled two at under five runs an over to hold defending champions Gloucestershire to 119.

Opener Toby Albert, on the back of 54 and 28 not out, dominated the chase with a personal best 73 as Hawks strode to the winning line with 30 balls to spare.

Not since 2017 have Hampshire won their first three matches in a Blast season, while Gloucestershire have still never won a T20 match at Utilita Bowl.

On the same pitch which displayed over 700 runs in the double header last week, Gloucestershire chose to set a target but never got to grips with the conditions.

Plays and misses were more regular than seeing the ball come off the middle of the bat, especially in the powerplay – which returned just 37 runs and saw John Turner dismiss Miles Hammond and Cam Bancroft, the latter to a stunning catch at short fine by James Fuller.

Ollie Price was the only batter to pass 20, albeit as scratchily as all around, as the all-rounder struggled to find anyone to form a partnership in his 42.

For the visitor’s batting woes, the Hawks were sublime with the ball. They allowed just nine fours and a single six in the entire innings and applied constant pressure.

Turner added one to his powerplay tally to return three for 28, Currie was unhittable for a second night in a row for his two for 19, while wily duo Wood and Howell were also cheap for their two scalps.

The fielding was also exemplary. All 10 wickets were caught; four of which by Benny Howell in the covers, which was Hampshire’s joint highest in the Blast.

Chasing 119, Albert scooped Ajeet Singh Dale over the ropes in the second over, he copy and pasted the shot in the fifth over as Hawks found more successful ways to get out of moments of slow scoring.

The second of the sixes came in a 20-run over, which eliminated any nerves in the chase.

Albert had a third six split over the ropes on 29 before also being put down at mid off next ball, Jack Taylor didn’t make the same mistake when he held on to James Vince at extra cover.

Tom Prest didn’t make the most of getting a life dropped at extra cover – before hammering it to deep square.

But Albert refused to allow things to wobble controllably. He reached his fifth T20 half-century with his fourth maximum, and even though Joe Weatherley edged behind, Albert strode past his previous T20 high of 66.

There was still time for a Dewald Brevis huge six before Albert closed the game out with a pulled four.