Another day, another sold-out Cloudfm County Ground as we host Hampshire on Thursday evening in the Vitality Blast! The match is the fourth Vitality Blast battle of the season with Simon Harmer’s men looking to put on another show in front of the home crowd.
Here’s the low-down on Thursday’s opponents…
Titles: 2 (2010,2012)
Finals Days: 7
Coach: Adi Birrell – The popular South African arrived at the Ageas Bowl in the winter and already has a runners-up medal to his name in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
He has plenty of experience having led Ireland at the 2007 World Cup, along with stints with the Proteas and England Under 19s.
Captain: James Vince – Vince has been Hampshire’s T20 captain since 2013, skippering his county to Finals Day four times during his reign. Having been a member of England’s World Cup squad, he’ll be aiming to continue his successes this summer.
Overseas signing: Chris Morris (South Africa)
The Narrative: Hampshire are out for redemption and revenge. The county suffered their worst T20 campaign in over a decade when they managed just two wins last year. James Vince’s men are still hurting from their Royal London One-Day Cup final defeat to Somerset, but little is more dangerous than a wounded animal.
Star Man: Rilee Rossouw – Has the nickname ‘The Entertainer’ for a reason; crowds are rarely bored when he is at the crease with his power-hitting among the best in the competition. The South African’s strike-rate of 146 for Hampshire is by far the highest in the current side.
Mr Consistency: Liam Dawson – Second in the Hampshire statistics for wickets, runs and catches in 2018, there aren’t too many more rounded all-rounders than Dawson. The left-arm spinner epitomises control in all aspects of his game.
Under the radar: Aneurin Donald – The big-hitting batsman is striking (literally!) his form at the right time. The Welshman recently hit 225 runs at a strike-rate of 118 in a Specsavers County Championship match to warm himself up for the Blast.
Killer stat: No team has more than Hampshire’s seven Finals Day appearances.
Tickets for this match are sold out but you can still catch the Eagles in action this season with 5 other games taking place at The Cloudfm County Ground!
