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

Vitality Blast – Men: Hampshire Hawks 215/5 beat Surrey 210/7 by five runs.

By Ben Kosky, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Hampshire Hawks clung on in a tense finish against Surrey to secure a fifth straight Vitality Blast victory and cement their place at the top of the South Group.

Toby Albert and Ali Orr laid the foundations at the Kia Oval with an opening partnership of 73 from 49 balls before Hilton Cartwright (40 from 17) and Joe Weatherley (43 from 26) enabled the Hawks to post 215 for five – their highest Blast total against Surrey.

The visitors looked firm favourites after reducing Surrey to 52 for three, only for Will Jacks (70 from 42) and Dan Lawrence, who smashed an unbeaten 94 from 47, to transform their side’s fortunes.

But, with 22 needed off Manny Lumsden’s final over, Lawrence struck 15 of them before losing strike and Chris Jordan was unable to manage a last-ball six that would have tied the contest.

With regular skipper James Vince nursing a back problem, Orr was drafted in for his first Blast appearance of the season and looked at home as he clubbed Tom Curran over mid-on for six.

Albert (39 from 32) cut with precision and mixed in a clutch of reverse scoops – but off-spinner Jacks (two for 29) lured both openers into shots that brought about their downfalls in the space of three balls, forcing the Hawks to rebuild.

Cartwright did just that, hitting successive fours off Sean Abbott and ramping Tom Curran for a maximum in his partnership of 56 from 28 with Weatherley – ended when Abbott took a catch just inside the midwicket boundary off Reece Topley (two for 29).

That was the trigger for Weatherley to increase his output, dominating the fourth-wicket stand of 50 with Tristan Stubbs, whose 30 not out from 18 helped to haul Hampshire’s total past 200.

They were also indebted to James Fuller, who used up only six balls to smash an unbeaten 18, taking advantage of Surrey missing the cut-off time as Abbott’s final over disappeared for 24.

Wood (three for 32) gave his side the ideal start when Surrey replied, persuading Jason Roy to nibble outside off stump for a first-ball duck – although Jacks got the chase moving with a series of fours off Lumsden.

The opener made rapid progress, dispatching Wood effortlessly out of the ground but his side shed two more powerplay wickets, with Ollie Pope and Sam Curran both caught in the deep.

Jacks slammed Liam Dawson’s full toss for another six to reach his 50 and, after a sedate start, Lawrence joined him on the offensive, paddling two sixes in a Lumsden over that cost 24.

The pair dragged the required rate below 11 before Dawson got one to turn and hit Jacks’ stumps, increasing the pressure on Lawrence – whose response was to launch the spinner for successive sixes.

But Scott Currie (two for 24) delivered a solid penultimate over and, despite Lawrence’s last-gasp flourish, it was not quite enough to deny Hampshire.