Sussex Sharks 186-5 (20 overs)
Hampshire Hawks 190-6 (19.5 overs)
Hampshire won by 4 wickets
By Paul Weaver at Hove, ECB Reporters network supported by Rothesay
A stunning partnership of 112 in 10 overs between Hilton Cartwright and Ben Mayes gave the Hampshire Hawks a winning finish to their Vitality Blast campaign after they had lost three of their previous four games.
Cartwright (70 off 31 balls, with seven sixes) and the gifted 18-year-old Mayes (55 off 36) hit the Sussex Sharks bowlers to all corners of the County Ground but they made it home with just one ball to spare.
Hampshire had already qualified for the quarter-finals with six straight wins before their form faltered. But Sussex finish with just three victories.
Hampshire, who had chosen to field, broke through in the second over when the in-form Harrison Ward pulled Sonny Baker – bowling with some pace down the hill and with the wind behind him – into the safe hands of Cartwright at long leg.
Ward stood his ground for a while, appearing to suggest that the delivery had been above shoulder height.
Dan Hughes and George Thomas then added 65 for the second wicket in just seven overs, the best stand of the innings.
At the end of the six-over powerplay, Sussex had reached a very respectable 69-1, Hughes leading the way with 42 of them.
The Australian left-hander, fresh from his century against Middlesex on Friday (10 July), had made 55 from 32 deliveries, with ten fours, when he slapped a ball from Delano Potgieter straight to extra-cover.
And two overs later, it was 104-3 when Thomas flicked a Scott Currie delivery to the deep mid-wicket boundary.
Jack Leaning lost his leg stump to Baker for 19 to leave Sussex 121-4 after 13 overs and with Liam Dawson putting a brake on the scoring it was a good passage of play for the Hawks.
But the Sussex innings was revived by a fifth wicket stand of 52 in 5.4 overs by Tom Alsop and Charlie Tear, who with sweet timing hit four leg-side sixes in an unbeaten 40 from 25 deliveries.
Hampshire made a hesitant start to their reply. Toby Albert skied a return catch to Tymal Mills in only the second over and captain James Vince had scored only nine when, attempting to hoist Tom Price over mid-on, he picked out the fielder instead.
At the end of the powerplay, Hampshire were 47-2 and, in the next over, they lost their third wicket when Dawson was caught by Thomas, sprinting in from the midwicket boundary.
But Hampshire were really up against it when they lost two wickets in the same Jack Carson over.
Joe Weatherley, their leading scorer in the competition this season, trod on his stumps as he attempted to work the off-spinner off the back foot and Potgieter was caught behind two balls later.
But from 61-5 at the end of the eighth over, Hampshire displayed the power of their middle-order as Cartwright and Mayes went on the attack.
Mayes said afterwards: “We wanted to secure a home quarter-final and, going into this game today, we felt we could do that with a win.
“It was a good win today after a few results went against us in recent matches. I couldn’t be happier with the way it went today. Hilton came in and hit his first ball for six and it carried from there.
“I felt pretty nervous at the beginning. We were losing a few wickets. Hilton and I were trying to work out what each other’s role was but it all worked out well for us.”
Sussex Sharks captain Tymal Mills said: “It was a good game. That’s what T20 games should be all about. Games that go down to the wire.
“I thought we stuck in well today. The wind was blowing down the hill today which made it tough at times. I thought Hilton Cartwright played very well today. He hit some very clean balls.
“We’ve finished the campaign with a couple of good performances after a very disappointing early and middle part.
“It was nice to have the crowd behind us at the end. It’s disappointing to lose, as always, but I was happy with the fight we showed.
“I thought Charlie Tear played brilliantly. We thought the last few matches gave us a chance to play some of the guys who haven’t played. And Charlie batted really well. He improvised and manipulated the crease well against some very good bowlers.”
