Hampshire Hawks v Essex
Vitality Blast
Utilita Bowl, Southampton
Friday 19 July, 7:00pm
Team News
Hampshire Hawks: James Vince*, Ben McDermott+, Tom Prest, Joe Weatherley, Toby Albert, Benny Howell, Liam Dawson, Eddie Jack, Chris Wood, Brad Wheal, John Turner.
Essex: Adam Rossington+, Dean Elgar, Michael Pepper, Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Charlie Allison, Simon Harmer*, Luc Benkenstein, Eathan Bosch, Shane Snater, Sam Cook.
Match Details
Umpires: Robert White & Mike Burns
Match Referee: Jason Swift
Scorers: Fiona Newnham & Paul Parkinson
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bowl
Result: Hampshire Hawks won by seven runs
Scorecard: View here
Match Highlights
Match Report
Hampshire Hawks fast bowler John Turner’s best T20 figures knocked Essex out of the Vitality Blast.
The Eagles, who were losing finalists in 2023, only needed a point at Utilita Bowl to overtake Gloucestershire into fourth but were undone by Turner’s four for 23.
Ben McDermott’s exquisite 64, together with 41s for James Vince and Tom Prest got Hawks to a defendable 181.
Essex looked out of it at 58 for five but teenagers Luc Benkenstein and Charlie Allison crashed maiden T20 half-centuries in an 86-run stand.
But Turner’s return at the death ended their hopes of a quarter-final place as Hawks secured a fourth win of an otherwise poor competition by seven runs.
Vince and McDermott got Hawks off to a flyer after being stuck in, as the opening partnership finally clicked in 2024 to put on a highest first wicket stand of 97.
Before this innings, Australian McDermott has only scored 173 runs across this season’s Blast but came alive with a mix of the brutal and inventive for a 39 ball fifty – his 10th across three seasons at Hampshire.
Vince fell nine short of following McDermott to the milestone when Benkenstein bowled him, but Tom Prest entered to thump Paul Walter for 18 off an over.
The Hawks were on for 200, but Shane Snater put a spanner in the works with a double wicket over in the 16th – which saw the back of McDermott for 64 and Benny Howell.
Two overs later, Walter ended Prest’s sensational 41 off 21 ball knock before Liam Dawson identically pulled to deep fine leg.
Joe Weatherley and Toby Albert bashed 25 off the final two overs to drag the hosts to 181 for five – a total Essex would have felt comfortable chasing.
However, things never got going, especially when Adam Rossington tickled the first ball of the innings behind before Chris Wood also found Dean Elgar edging to snare two wickets in the first over of the reply.
Wood passed the flame to Turner – who also began with two wickets in an over.
Michael Pepper skied a caught and bowled, Walter pulled to shirt third before Matt Critchley gave Turner figures of three for six after two overs.
A rescue act was needed for Essex, and two 19-year-olds stepped up.
Benkenstein had already almost single-handedly beaten Glamorgan during a collapse earlier in the season but it was Allison who took control.
His whipped six and hammering over long on were the stands out from a 37-ball fifty – his first in T20 having only previously had 50 runs to his name.
Benkenstein also reached his maiden format half-century – four balls quicker than his contemporary – as the partnership extended to 86.
But with 38 required off 18, Benkenstein scooped straight up to end his fun before Turner clean-bowled Harmer for his fourth.
Turner’s penultimate over only went for six, which left 15 needed off the last, which Wood defended brilliantly – despite Allison ending up on a valiant 69.
50-over cricket in Chelmsford this summer
The competition has not only recently proven itself to be wide open and highly competitive, but also a breeding ground for the next generation of elite cricketers.
With all four matches set to take place during the school summer holidays, each fixture makes a perfect family day out in the heart of Chelmsford.
Wednesday 24 July, 11:00am: Essex v Warwickshire – buy here
Wednesday 31 July, 11:00am: Essex v Leicestershire Foxes – buy here
Sunday 04 August, 11:00am: Essex v Glamorgan – buy here
Friday 09 August, 2:00pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
Friday 26 July, 11:00am: Essex Women v Kent – buy here
Wednesday 14 August, 11:00am: Essex Women v Sussex – buy here
