Report & Reaction: Hampshire v Lancashire, Metro Bank One Day Cup

Felix Organ struck 74 off 57 balls before Brad Wheal and John Turner destroyed Lancashire’s batting and essentially their hopes of Metro Bank One Day Cup progression.

Hampshire had stumbled to 50 for four but Organ headlined a fightback with 74 and his second fifty of this season’s campaign.

Lancashire then outdid their host's top-order collapse by sinking to 19 for five in the face of Wheal and Turner’s electric new ball pace - the duo ended up with three for 14 and four for 24 respectively. 

Chris Green’s valiant 100 – his List A best – saved some face but Organ again impressed by taking two for 31 with his off-spin to complete a 71-run victory and keep Hampshire in the mix at the top of Group A.

Hampshire have lost a wicket before the end of the second over in each of their One Day Cup matches so far. Having been stuck in, the trend continued when The Hundred releasee Joe Weatherley nicked Will Williams behind.

His opening partner Fletcha Middleton lasted until midway through the fifth over when Tom Bailey found bounce and away movement to touch the edge.

The first boundary eventually came off the 42nd ball – when Nick Gubbins flicked off his hip – but he played onto his own stumps to make it 32 for three, with Tom Prest seeing the sag continue to 50 for four with a chip to short midwicket.

But with so many top-order wobbles so far in the competition, Hampshire know how to right the ship.

Toby Albert and Ben Brown put on 44 to steady things and once they had been run out and caught sweeping,  Organ and Dom Kelly enthusiastically added 76 to breeze Hampshire to the brink of a seemingly impossible 200.

An easing pitch and ball helped, but a proactive approach saw boundaries flow, particularly from Organ’s bat as he reached a 47 ball fifty.

Initially a top-order batter, Organ has found a niche for himself bowling off-spin and coming in later in the order. But his grounding with the bat has made him invaluable for Hampshire, with scores of 59 and a match-winning 46 not out previously in the competition.

Kelly fell for a run-a-ball 36, before Eddie Jack came and went, but Organ spearheaded 62 runs coming off the last six overs to end up on 74, and take his side to 222.

A now tricky-looking chase overwhelmed Lancashire, as they slipped to 19 for five inside 10 overs.

Wheal and Turner are not a batter’s dream with their paces in the vicinity of 90 mph, and on a pitch offering bounce and movement with the new ball, they were almost unplayable.

Scotland international Wheal’s first two victims were Harry Singh - who couldn’t keep down a lifting ball outside off stump to guide to point – and left-hander George Balderson – who couldn’t stop himself nibbling at a ball angling across him.

Turner, who hasn’t featured for Trent Rockets yet in The Hundred, crashed into Josh Bohannon’s off stump a ball after seeing the batter dropped, before George Bell was sensationally caught over the shoulder by Joe Weatherley.

Green wasn’t going to allow Lancashire set a record low – 59 in their fourth ever List A match in 1963 – as he put on 51 with Rocky Flintoff and moved towards his second format half-century, which came in 48 deliveries.

Flintoff was leg before to Felix Organ, Jack Blatherwick slapped to mid off, Tom Bailey was bounced out by Wheal and Charlie Barnard was caught at extra cover as no one could stick with Green long enough to form a match-winning partnership.

Williams stayed long enough to allow Green, the best batter on the day, to reach a much-deserved hundred in 94 balls, but next ball he was bowled to give Turner his fourth to complete the win.