| T20 Blast, Ageas Bowl |
| Hampshire Hawks 199-6 (20 overs): Vince 65, McDermott 60; Crocombe 3-31 |
| Sussex Sharks 177-6 (20 overs): Seifert 100*, Rawlins 32; Dawson 1-17 |
| Hampshire won by 22 runs |
| Scorecard |
Hampshire claimed their first T20 Blast win of the season as they beat Sussex by 22 runs to claim the ‘El Clasicoast’ spoils at the Ageas Bowl.
James Vince (65) and Ben McDermott (60) gave the Hawks a blistering start with an opening stand of 124 in 70 balls.
The Sharks fought back well before useful late runs from Toby Albert (23 not out) carried the hosts to 199-6.
Tim Seifert smacked 100 not out off 56 balls in reply, but Sussex were always behind the rate and closed on 177-6.
Hampshire moved off the bottom of the South Group and sit eighth after breaking their duck, while Sussex stay fourth after their three-match winning run was ended.
Vince was at his elegant best, stroking nine fours and a six in a 41-ball knock. McDermott chose brute force, bringing up a 29-ball 50 with his fifth six – and his third in four balls – before falling to a fine catch from Obed McCoy off Henry Crocombe (3-31).
The hosts looked nailed on to surpass 200 after the club-record opening T20 stand, but were hauled back after the duo departed. They slipped from 124-0 to 147-4, with Fynn Hudson-Prentice taking an acrobatic boundary catch to dismiss Tom Prest.
Liam Dawson hit 14 off five balls and Albert made an unbeaten 23 off 15 to set the visitors a stern chase of 200, but knowing it could have been even tougher after the early assault.
Luke Wright needed 36 to reach 5,000 T20 Blast career runs, but fell for a nine-ball knock of five as Sussex limped to 58-3 at the halfway point, with England spinner Dawson (1-17) applying the brakes.
The Sussex fight came from Seifert who carried his bat and brought up his 55-ball century off the penultimate ball of the innings – his second 50 coming from just 18 balls – but it was always in a losing cause.
Sunday fixtures
Cardiff: Glamorgan v Surrey (14:00 BST)
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Northamptonshire Steelbacks (14:30 BST)
Edgbaston: Birmingham Bears v Notts Outlaws (14:30 BST)
Worcester: Worcestershire Rapids v Leicestershire Foxes (14:30 BST)
Canterbury: Kent Spitfires v Middlesex (14:30 BST)
