T20 Look Back: Tom Prest v Gloucestershire

Going into the 10^th Vitality Blast match last year, Hampshire Hawks had just one win from their first nine games, albeit with three washed out.

The Hawks desperately needed a win to keep their Finals Day hopes alive, and it was then-18-year-old Tom Prest who got Hampshire back to winning ways.

Batting at three, he strode out to the crease in just the second over after James Vince was stumped for 13, scoring all but one of Hampshire’s total at the time.

Prest would soon lose his partner D’Arcy Short for 17, and New Zealand’s Colin de Grandhomme for just a single, as the Hawks found themselves struggling once again at 43-3.

However, Prest took it upon himself to get Hampshire to a strong score.

He dispatched the Gloucestershire bowlers to all parts, particularly favouring the long on boundary where he had a lucky escape when he was dropped by Miles Hammond “Paul Reiffel-style”.

From there on in, Prest played flawlessly with a series of sweeps and cut shots and put on 47 with Joe Weatherley and a further 73 with James Fuller to put the Hawks in the driving seat n 176-6.

The Hampshire bowlers then did the rest as Gloucestershire were restricted to 166 as the Hawks won by 10 runs, which began a win streak of six games to see them through to Finals Day.

Catch Tom in Vitality Blast action with a Blast Passport, available at a discounted Super Early Bird price of just £99.

A Blast Passport grants admission to all seven Hampshire Hawks matches at The Ageas Bowl, including the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend ‘el clasicoast’ clash against Sussex Sharks.