Report & Reaction: Hampshire Men v Kent Spitfires, Vitality Blast

Vitality Blast men's competition - Hampshire Hawks 190/3 beat Kent Spitfires 171 by 19 runs

By Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

James Vince and Joe Weatherley’s half-centuries maintained Hampshire Hawks’ unbeaten home record and fused them to the top of the Vitality Blast men’s competition South Group.

The duo put on 101 for the second wicket, notching 63 and 61 respectively, before Tristan Stubbs boosted the Hawks to 190.

Tawanda Muyeye’s fifty put Kent Spitfires on track, but Sonny Baker’s four for 25 and Scott Currie’s three for 30, tied with their sensational death bowling, gave Hampshire an eight-point lead at the top of the table.

Having taken 12 wickets in two Rothesay County Championship matches, Hasan Mahmud began his Blast career by producing a searing yorker to extract Toby Albert. The Bangladeshi would end up with a frugal three for 25.

But that was a rare positive for Kent, as they lost Joe Denly in the field – after taking a blow to the leg – before Vince and Weatherley started to build a substantial partnership.

Vince did his usual shtick of graceful mixed with power shot-making as he bookended the week with half-centuries against the Spitfires – this one his 93rd in T20s.

Weatherley was less consistently aggressive. He only scored five boundaries in his 47-ball 61, but three of them were sixes, with 31 singles keeping things ticking.

The pair put on 101, but Vince’s departure and five overs in which only a single boundary was scored – with one tiny square boundary and a lengthy one making it easy for bowlers to direct where they wanted the ball to go.

A big finale was required, and Tristan Stubbs provided it.

The reliable South African bludgeoner crashed 41 runs from 24 balls to fire Hampshire to a par 190.

Sonny Baker sent Daniel Bell-Drummond’s middle stump for a walk, but the tone of the chase was set by Tawanda Muyeye and Zak Crawley’s free-flowing scoring – pairing singles to the long side with big sixes into the short.

Andrew Neal pinned Crawley lbw to end the 66-run stand, and after his first fifty of the campaign, Muyeye pulled to deep square, while Sam Billings was caught two overs later.

Kent continued to tick off the runs, but Harry Finch and Grant Stewart swung one time too many. It left 23 required from the last two overs.

But Scott Currie produced a magical penultimate over that only conceded three runs, while also dismissing Jake Lintott and Tom Rogers.

And then Baker ended things by having Matt Milnes well-caught and then the limping Denly yorked to complete a 19-run win.