Sams slams decisive blows as Essex oust defending champions Hampshire

Essex 115 for five (Sams 29, Fuller 2-23) beat Hampshire 170 for 7 (Weatherly 63*, Critchley 2-22) by 5 wickets (DLS technique)

Sams couldn’t end the job, nicely held on the boundary by Ross Whiteley, however though Liam Dawson solely conceded seven off the penultimate over to depart 13 wanted from the final, Ellis was hit for 2 sixes in three balls to finish Hampshire’s hopes.

The rain delay took eight overs out of the Essex innings and appeared to tip the steadiness again in the direction of the chasing facet, with the requirement 96 off 55 and the ball skidding round on a greasy outfield. They threatened to squander the benefit by shedding 3 for 3 within the area of an over, however Sams smashed three sixes in an innings of 29 from 17 to place them again heading in the right direction for less than a second Blast last look.

Essex wrestle for timing both facet of rain

Essex have based mostly a lot of their method to this 12 months’s Blast on attacking come what might, so shedding a wicket from the third ball of the innings would have been priced in. Adam Rossington’s flip off the hip went effective however Weatherley’s good day continued as he raced across the rope for a tumbling catch. Michael Pepper managed two boundaries however Essex’s begin was scratchy because the clouds started to roll in, with Lawrence dropped off a steepler by Dawson shortly earlier than a heavy downpour took the gamers off for an hour.

The revised goal left Essex needing to go at simply above ten an over, and that had come right down to 68 off 40 when James Fuller struck twice within the area of three balls: Pepper caught at deep third off a wild hack and Lawrence edging a pull to the keeper. When Paul Walter was palpably lbw to John Turner within the subsequent over, Essex have been 4 down with the required charge climbing in the direction of two runs a ball.

Hampshire begin nicely, then stutter

Aaron Beard’s solely over, the primary of the Hampshire innings, went for 14 as each Ben McDermott and James Vince opened their accounts by whipping leg-side deliveries to the fence. McDermott then picked off Sams’ first two balls, the second by way of a domineering stride down the pitch earlier than launching over long-off. An edged 4 vast of the keeper and two extra off Sam Cook dinner – one scooped over the pinnacle of quick effective leg – took McDermott to 29 off 11 however he fell to his subsequent supply, pulling Cook dinner straight to deep sq. leg.

Hampshire at that time have been 39 for 1 after three overs however Vince fell within the subsequent over, chipping Shane Snater to mid-off, and Essex obtained a maintain on the scoring to make it 55 for two on the finish of the powerplay. The spinners then saved Hampshire in examine, with Tom Prest, Dawson and Fuller all falling for middling scores and solely 5 boundaries coming between the seventh and sixteenth overs.

Weatherley, Howell add completion

With wickets falling commonly, Weatherley needed to take a circumspect method, transferring to 31 off 25 balls earlier than hitting his third boundary – a sweetly struck six down the bottom off Harmer. He continued to maintain the rating ticking however misplaced one other associate when Ross Whiteley’s miscue off Walter left Hampshire 130 for six after 17 overs.

However the arrival of Howell added much-needed impetus on the loss of life, because the seventh-wicket pair mirrored McDermott’s opening burst by lashing one other 40 runs to the full throughout the final three overs. A large full toss from Sams noticed Weatherley convey up his fifty from from 34 balls, and the Hampshire No. 4 then spoiled an otherwise-decent penultimate over from Cook dinner by going deep in his crease to slog-sweep a slower ball for six. Howell then helped plunder 14 off Sams’ nearer, together with a towering six over long-on, and though he was dismissed off the ultimate ball his 22 off 11 had given Hampshire one thing to bowl at.