Report & Reaction: Hampshire Men v Yorkshire, Vitality Blast

Vitality Blast men's competition - Yorkshire 150 lost to Hampshire 155/8 by two wickets

By Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Chris Wood struck a six off the penultimate ball to edge Hampshire Hawks to a thrilling victory over Yorkshire in the Vitality Blast men’s competition.

Wood, who had earlier taken three for 23 to restrict the visitors to 150, held his nerve to smash a four then a six with six needed from three balls.

It gave the Hawks, whose chase had been led by a Joe Weatherley 66, their sixth win in a row to stay top of the South Group. Meanwhile, Yorkshire only remain top of the North Group on net run rate.

Hampshire did two integral things perfectly after being stuck in. They bowled tightly – only one over went for more than 13 runs – and caught everything that came their way – seven in total.

Those two factors resulted in Yorkshire struggling to find impetus through their batting - the two teams meeting for just the second time, after Hampshire's victory in the 2012 final.

Only 42 runs came in the powerplay, as Wood and Currie both got the first of their three wickets.

Will Luxton and Sam Whiteman attempted to breath some life into the innings with a 45-run stand but the rate was always in Hampshire’s court.

That put pressure on Yorkshire to go big in the backend of their 20, but four wickets in 21 balls in the middle overs – with the latter two seeing Wood take two in three balls.

AJ Tye provided the counterargument by firing Sonny Baker over the boundary four balls in a row, but the newly minted England Test quick got the last laugh by yorking the Australian.

Toby Albert’s early dismissal didn’t slow Hampshire’s early blitz of hammering 58 in the first five overs.

But spin entered proceedings and turned things into the visitors’ direction, with Dan Moriarty bowling James Vince before dismissing Liam Dawson and Ben Mayes in successive balls.

Jafer Chohan backed that up when Weatherley – who had dropped 63 off 33 balls with effortless ball-striking – slog swept straight to deep square. 

Despite the collapse, the Hawks still only needed to go at less than six runs an over, and Tristan Stubbs and Hilton Cartwright were the perfect duo to take the sting out of the situation.

They put 35 on before Cartwright was wonderfully caught behind by Jonny Bairstow before James Fuller was castled in the same Tye over.

In his following over, Tye found Scott Currie pinging to mid off and the game was fully alive again.

Tye was given eight runs to defend off the last over, and despite keeping the dangerous Stubbs off strike, Wood proved to be the hero to tower the ball over midwicket with a ball to spare.