Vitality Blast 2023: Match Reports, Results, Scorecards and Reactions June 16th - All Matches

Here are the Vitality Blast June 16th 2023 Match Reports, Results, Scorecards and Reactions for all the matches being played today.

 

 

Top Tournament Stats - Vitality Blast 2023

Most Runs - Top Batter 

Most Wickets - Top Bowler

Points Table

Fixtures

 

North Group

 

June 16: Durham v Derbyshire Falcons (Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street)

Durham and Derbyshire Falcons played out a thrilling tie in their Vitality Blast clash at Seat Unique Riverside as Haider Ali hit the final ball of the innings to the fence to earn his team a share of the spoils.

Brydon Carse returned from injury to top score for the home side with a career-best 58 as Durham posted 178 from their 20 overs, although they were to rue a batting collapse, losing their final five wickets for only 17 runs.

Derbyshire found their range in response as Luis Reece blasted 58 from  47 balls. But, the home side dragged it back to set up a tense finale as Wayne Parnell claimed three wickets. Haider Ali held his nerve from the final ball and rescued a tie for the Falcons finding the boundary on the leg-side to claim a valuable point.

The visitors won the toss and elected to field, but were put on the back foot by Michael Jones' early attack. The Scotland international, replacing Graham Clark at opener due to illness, crashed five boundaries in the powerplay before he picked out Mattie McKiernan on the fence to hand Khan the breakthrough.

Alex Lees found his touch after a slow start but then suffered an unfortunate end when he was run out at the non-strikers' end by McKiernan deflecting Carse's drive back into the stumps. Carse responded to the misfortune by blasting two huge sixes straight down the ground to propel Durham's scoring rate over nine runs per over.

The Falcons kept themselves in the contest as Ollie Robinson and Ashton Turner were dismissed cheaply, reducing the hosts to 100 for four with eight overs remaining. Carse notched his second T20 fifty clearing the rope with two further strikes down the ground before Khan returned to the attack and prised out the all-rounder for 58.

Carse's dismissal sparked a collapse in the Durham ranks. The hosts fell from 161 for five to 178 all out in the final 15 balls of the innings. Chappell did the damage with four late wickets, while Khan added a fourth for himself to bottle up the Durham lower order.

Derbyshire issued a rapid response to their chase as Harry Came set the tone against Parnell, smashing his first over for three-straight boundaries. Came made his way to 34 from 17 before Parnell had his revenge to remove the Falcons' opener in the final over of the powerplay.

But, Reece and Wayne Madsen kept the visitors well ahead of the run rate, finding the fence with ease against slack Durham bowling. Reece made a slow start to his knock but he accelerated through the gears to reach his 16th T20 fifty from 38 balls, including two towering sixes against Liam Trevaskis.

Coughlin drew a false shot from Madsen and Nathan Sowter added the wicket of Leus du Plooy to his collection this season to put the visitors back under pressure, elevating the required run rate beyond 12 per over. Haider Ali responded with back-to-back boundaries in the 17th over to open up a tense finale, requiring 31 from the final three overs.

Parnell and Trevaskis turned the screw for the hosts, combining twice to prise out Reece for 58 and Brook Guest, swinging the momentum back to Durham. Haider Ali and McKiernan drilled De Leede's penultimate over for 14, aided by two wides from the Netherlands international, leaving the game in the balance heading into the final six balls.

Parnell cost a run with his first ball throwing it needlessly back at the stumps after holding McKiernan in check. But his following four balls were on the money to leave Derbyshire needing five from the final delivery. With the game on the line, Haider Ali found the gap in a leg-side boundary to snatch a tie for the Falcons on the road.

June 16: Northants Steelbacks v Lancashire Lightning (County Cricket Ground, Northampton)

Steven Croft smashed his maiden T20 century to power Lancashire Lightning to an imposing 204 for seven and set up a 35-run victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road.

Croft took the attack to the Steelbacks attack, blasting seven sixes and five fours in his 101 and shared a 146-run partnership in 12 overs with Daryl Mitchell (48). The pair had led a belligerent fightback after Ben Sanderson (2-29) had raised home fans’ hopes by removing England power hitters Jos Buttler (0) and Phil Salt (12) in his first two overs.

With Luke Wood (3-39) taking three wickets in an over in the powerplay, the hosts’ hopes rested once more on Australian big hitter Chris Lynn but when he fell for 21, it was left to all-rounders Tom Taylor (40) and AJ Tye (35) to entertain the crowds in a lively stand of 58 in five overs as the Steelbacks fell to their sixth defeat of the campaign. Lightning now have five wins from nine games, keeping them firmly in contention for a playoff spot.

The Steelbacks’ evening had started promisingly when they restricted Lightning to just 39 for three off the powerplay. Sanderson trapped Buttler leg before in his first over and removed Salt in his second thanks to keeper Lewis McManus who took a diving legside catch. Wells became the third wicket to fall when he holed out off Taylor with Willey taking a well-judged catch.

That though brought Mitchell and Croft together who were quick to go on the attack. Mitchell hit his first delivery for four and later dispatched Tye high over extra cover.

Croft hit the first six of the game over long on off Sanderson and greeted Freddie Heldreich by sweeping him over square leg for two sixes and a four in his first over. He pulled Taylor over deep square for six and then hit the next two balls he faced, both from Heldreich, for two further maximums.

Mitchell was also clearing the ropes, smashing two sixes down the ground off Zaib’s only over. He offered the bowler a sharp return chance though, but the bowler could not hold on.

Justin Broad, playing his maiden first-team game for Northamptonshire finally made the breakthrough in his only over, accounting for Mitchell who was caught by Lynn off an attempted scoop.

Croft fell soon after reaching his century thanks to Zaib who held onto a steepling chance at deep backward square off Tye, who also removed Tom Hartley in the final over.

Liam Livingstone (25) played some big shots, clubbing England teammate Willey down the ground for six before he was run out off the final ball of the innings.

Northamptonshire’s new opening pair Ricardo Vasconelos (15) and Emilio Gay (13) took 22 off the first two overs. Gay hit three consecutive boundaries off Jack Blatherwick before he was caught off the leading edge off the first ball of a highly eventful over from Wood.

Vasconcelos pulled a free hit from Wood for six but departed to the next delivery when the bowler took a sharp low return catch. Wood then accounted for Willey next ball, caught by Salt, before Zaib safely survived the hattrick ball.

Zaib hit Blatherwick into the top of the Turner Stand but was caught behind by Buttler off the next delivery to leave the Steelbacks in real trouble on 47 for four.

Broad (14) looked unfazed on the big occasion, reverse sweeping Hartley for four and crunching Wells through extra cover before he was put down at long-on. Wells soon had his man though when Broad was caught by Mitchell at long-off.

Lynn needed to play another powerhouse innings for the Steelbacks and had a stroke of luck when he was put down on the boundary off Hartley with the ball running away for four. But Hartley struck soon afterwards when he had Lynn caught off a top edge attempting to hook. Three overs later Wells picked up his second wicket when he bowled Lewis McManus (11).

Tye and Taylor were determined to go down all guns blazing and took on the bowlers to give the home fans something to cheer. Tye dispatched Livingstone over the ropes and hit Blatherwick for an even bigger six over deep square leg. The fun ended when the Australian tried to uppercut Mitchell over the infield on one leg and was caught by Blatherwick for 35 (two sixes, three fours). Mitchell then had Sanderson caught and bowled two balls later.

Taylor continued to blaze away, ending the game with an enormous six over deep midwicket to finish unbeaten on 40 (one six, two fours).

June 16: Worcestershire Rapids v Birmingham Bears (New Road, Worcester)

Birmingham Bears cemented their top-two spot in the Vitality Blast North Group after triumphing by 21 runs in the West Midlands derby with Worcestershire Rapids at New Road.

The Bears were indebted to late hitting from Dan Mousley and Jacob Bethell for setting a challenging target.

Mousley’s unbeaten 49 was his T20 best this summer while Bethell’s 32 not out was his highest in the competition.

Pakistan leg spinner Usama Mir had been re-signed by the Rapids for the remainder of the tournament after Michael Bacewell’s achilles injury and he returned 3-22.

Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira struck his first T20 half century of the season for the Rapids but his side struggled to break free from the Bears spinners.

After winning their opening four games, Worcestershire have now lost four in a row as they suffered another dent to their qualification hopes.

Worcestershire handed a first T20 appearance of the season to all-rounder Matthew Waite while batter Adam Hose faced his former team-mates for the first time since moving to New Road on a three year contract.

Ex Worcestershire all-rounder Ed Barnard was recalled to the Bears side but key batter Sam hain was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

The Bears were put into bat and openers Alex Davies and Rob Yates gave them a flying start.

Yates top-edged Dillon Pennington for a huge six over keeper Ben Cox and then Davies was successful with a scoop shot off Pat Brown to bring up the half century in 5.1 overs.

But Brown made the first breakthrough in the same over when Davies slashed hard to Hose at point.

Usama came into the attack and struck in his first over when Yates came down the wicket and was stumped by Ben Cox.

Glenn Maxwell was quickly into his stride with a reverse sweep for six off D’Oliveira but soon perished at long on to give Mir a second scalp.

Benjamin and Mousley added 51 in 6.2 overs before the former was run out attempting a second run after turning D’Oliveira to deep square leg.

Barnard got off the mark with a boundary first ball but on seven tried to sweep Mir in his final over and was lbw.

But some destructive hitting from Bethell and Mousley produced 51 runs from 3.1 overs to lift the final total close to 200.

The Bears then made early inroads into the Rapids batting line-up.

Ed Pollock was restored to the top of the order after Bracewell’s injury and off drove the first delivery from Hasan Ali for four.

But the former Bears left hander was taken at mid off in the second over from Maxwell and then Jack Haynes was caught down the legside to the first ball of Henry Brookes spell

D’Oliveira got the scoreboard moving with a scoop and cover-drive for successive boundaries at Brookes expense and back to back fours from the Rapids skipper brought up the 50 in 5.2 overs.

Hose, who left Edgbaston to play more red ball cricket, continued his recent good form and added 78 in 8.1 overs with D’Oliveira.

But Barnard brought about his downfall with his second delivery as Hose could only pick out Maxwell at deep mid wicket.

Worcestershire found it hard to get away the Bears spinners as the run rate climbed over 13 an over.

D’Oliveira completed a half century from 37 balls with one six and five fours but was stumped off Jake Lintott without addition to his score.

Santner could only find long off when attempting a big hit against Maxwell and, despite a late flurry of runs from Usama, the Bears ran out comfortable winners.

June 16: Yorkshire Vikings v Leicestershire Foxes (Headingley, Leeds)

England white ball star Dawid Malan’s fifth fifty of this season’s Vitality Blast - a superb 79 off 45 balls - helped Yorkshire to a record-equalling sixth straight T20 win as they chased 196 to beat Leicestershire by eight wickets with 11 balls remaining at Headingley. 

Only once before, in 2012, had the Vikings won six successive games - and this run has put them in great shape for quarter-finals qualification having lost their first three North Group games.

Louis Kimber bludgeoned a career best unbeaten 59 off 38 to power the Foxes to 195 for five after a mixed start to the innings. It improved a week which had seen the 26-year-old dismissed obstructing the field in a Championship game against Gloucestershire on Tuesday. 

But he was on the losing side as Malan united with fellow fifty-maker Adam Lyth, the left-handers sharing a superb club record opening stand of 158 in 14 overs. 

Unbeaten Lyth went on to top score with a season’s best 90 off 50 balls, while Malan finished his innings as the competition’s leading run-scorer with 488 to his name. 

Leicestershire, inserted, raced to 63 without loss after six overs of powerplay, Nick Welch scoring 39 of them. 

He pulled former team-mate Ben Mike for a huge six over the Western Terrace but only added one more run to his tally before falling to Jordan Thompson as the Foxes slipped to 65 for one in the seventh, starting a Yorkshire fightback.

A stunning piece of relay boundary fielding from David Wiese at long-on followed as he palmed back what looked a certain Rishi Patel six to Shan Masood, who was lurking 10 yards away. 

That gave Mike his first wicket, and his second followed immediately as Colin Ackermann flicked a knee-high full toss to deep square-leg next ball - 82 for three in the ninth.

Opener Harry Swindells accrued a busy 39 before falling victim as Wiese had the wicketkeeper-batter caught at deep midwicket with a slower ball - 110 for four in the 13th. 

Dom Bess bowled nicely for nought for 22 from four overs. However, the balance tipped again as Kimber and South African Wiaan Mulder united to share 53 inside six overs for the fifth wicket. 

While Mulder (31 off 17 balls) crashed two fours and two leg-side sixes off Mike as the 17th over went for 22 to revive the score to 156 for four, Kimber went on to top score. 

Having handled the ball against Gloucestershire, Kimber was strong on both sides of the wicket here in bettering a previous best 55 posted less a fortnight ago.

He clubbed Matthew Revis for six over long-on and then sliced Wiese over backward point at the start of the 20th to reach a 34-ball fifty. The Foxes scored 61 off the last four overs.

But Malan and Lyth made the target look a long way below par on a ground which has seen two scores north of 215 already this campaign. 

Languid Malan followed Welch’s lead and cleared the Western Terrace off Josh Hull’s seam as the second over went for 18 (21 without loss). Though, in fairness, there was nothing languid about this blow. It was all power.

Malan took boundaries on both sides of the wicket as he made the early running with 35 of 56 without loss after six overs. But Lyth found his rhythm too. 

He actually overtook Malan on 37, by which time the Vikings were motoring with 78 early in the ninth over.

Like Kimber, Lyth reached his fifty with a six off 28 balls, this one pulled off Rehan Ahmed’s leg-spin. And when Malan followed him to the same milestone off 31 balls later in the 10th over, the hosts were cruising at 104 without loss.

There was no pegging this one back, and it was nothing more than a consolatory strike when Malan carved Michael Finan’s left-arm seam out to deep cover at the end of the 14th over.

Finan also removed James Wharton before Lyth hit the winning runs at the start of the 19th. He and Malan shared five sixes.

South Group

 

June 16: Essex Eagles v Glamorgan (County Ground, Chelmsford)

 

Feroze Khushi sent off his audition to be Dan Lawrence’s successor as Essex made it four wins in a row beat Glamorgan by four wickets in the Vitality Blast.

Academy graduate Khushi crashed a 37-ball 61 as Essex comfortably chased down 175, despite losing three early wickets thanks to Jamie McIlroy’s four for 36.

Khushi is in prime position to become a guaranteed first-team player after Lawrence announced he was to join Surrey from next season and showed his incredible promise with four huge sixes.

Paul Walter continued his fine form against Glamorgan with 43, before Matt Critchley and Daniel Sams saw off most the remaining runs with 24 balls to spare.

Having been stuck in on a fresh pitch, Kiran Carlson got the visitors off to a flyer with 43 off 25 balls, which included a straight six off Daniel Sams and a swatted pull maximum off Sam Cook.

Sam Northeast, who had earlier been meekly dropped, was the first of three catches for Paul Walter at long-on – with Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke also picking out the tallest man on the field– as Glamorgan reached 55 in the powerplay.

Glamorgan’s good start was dented by Ingram and Carlson falling in successive overs as Essex claimed control of the middle overs to have Glamorgan 122 for four after 15 overs – with Cooke falling to Harmer.

Matt Critchley lured Billy Root to swing to wide long on but Timm van der Gugten smashed Harmer for two sixes in an 18 run over to push Glamorgan closer towards par.

Van der Gugten was eventually run out in the final over after a brutal 14-ball 33 as Glamorgan ended up on 175 for six – with Sams and Critchley both boasting economical figures of one for 20 to keep the total narrowly in the Eagles’ favour.

Essex take an aggressive approach to their batting – its result come in two forms.

On one side you have two wickets in the first over and three in the powerplay, leaving them 35 for three.

Robin Das slogged his first ball to deep square leg and Michael Pepper ramped the next ball behind. Jamie McIlroy couldn’t get a hat-trick but Josh Rymell chipped to mid on in the left-armer’s following over.

On the other, you had Khushi pinging three sixes in the first three overs as he had 33 off his first 11 balls, although took fewer risks to reach his third half-century in 29 balls.

Paul Walter joined Khushi and the pair found a nice rhythm in a 80-run stand in 47 balls.

Walter had scored 58 and 78 in his previous two innings against Glamorgan, he struck 42 before his fourth attempt at a six top-edged to short third.

Khushi was sensationally caught and bowled by van der Gugten five balls later to leave 59 off 51 balls.

But Sams and Critchley made sure the result wasn’t in danger, with the former boshing 41 off 16 – Essex scoring 57 off the last 24 balls they faced.

June 16: Middlesex v Kent Spitfires (Lord’s, London)

Max Holden’s magnificent century spearheaded a valiant Middlesex chase in the Vitality Blast, but it was not enough as they fell short of a record Lord’s T20 total by Kent Spitfires.

Holden led his side’s assault on an improbable target of 229 with a career-best T20 knock of 121 not out from 59 balls to maintain the Seaxes’ hopes of finally breaking their duck in the tournament.

But Kent held on for their second successive South Group win, having posted 228 for three thanks to Daniel Bell-Drummond, who struck 66 from 42 before Joe Denly savaged his former side’s ragged bowling attack with an unbeaten 73 from 37.

The Spitfires remain in contention but, although Middlesex’s reply equalled their sixth best total in Blast history, they remain without a point after suffering their ninth straight defeat.

The home side conceded 24 extras, with neither of their main seamers able to complete a full four overs – Tom Helm withdrawn from the fray for bowling too many above waist height and Blake Cullen limping off injured.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, the Spitfires made steady progress as opening pair Tawanda Muyeye and Bell-Drummond shared a partnership of 88 – their fourth in excess of 50 in the last five Blast games.

Bell-Drummond, who called for a change of bat in the third over, immediately confirmed his new selection to be a good one by dispatching his next two deliveries from Cullen for six and four.

Muyeye took longer to get into his stride, slicing Martin Andersson over gully for his first boundary, but he followed that up with a straight drive over the rope as Kent powered along at around 10 an over.

Having been caught at backward point off a Cullen no-ball, Muyeye failed to capitalise and skied to deep midwicket later in the same over for 38, but his replacement Denly proceeded to find the gaps with expertise.

Bell-Drummond thumped Luke Hollman to the fence to bring up his half-century, although he missed the chance to convert that into a ton when Cullen slanted one back into him and Helm took a diving catch at point.

It was left to Denly, who reached his first 50 of the campaign from 28 and Sam Billings – rounding off the innings with an enormous six off Ryan Higgins – to steer the Spitfires to their fourth-best total in T20 cricket.

The daunting 229 target always looked beyond Middlesex’s reach, compounded when they lost openers Joe Cracknell and Stephen Eskinazi inside the first three overs of their reply, both falling to top edges that were comfortably clasped by Billings.

However, Holden displayed defiance, thrashing Fred Klaassen and Kane Richardson for sixes as the latter’s first over disappeared for 20 and he and Higgins – promoted to three – shared a spirited stand of 77 from 35.

Michael Hogan seemed to have scuppered any Middlesex hopes of a successful chase, stooping to grab a return catch and dismiss Higgins for 35 from 22 before Richardson returned to pick up two wickets in four balls.

But Holden kept going with a combination of timing and power, slamming Hogan for two sixes and then cutting him over slip for a four that took him to his second Blast hundred from 49 deliveries.

However, the left-hander’s brave effort was ultimately in vain as Middlesex – needing 24 from the final over – could only manage 10.

June 16: Somerset v Surrey (County Ground, Taunton)

Sam Curran claimed five wickets as Surrey won the battle of the top two teams in the Vitality Blast South Group by 28 runs against Somerset at Taunton.

The visitors posted 195 for nine after losing the toss, Will Jacks smashing 60 off 43 balls and Chris Jordan a blistering 36 not out off just 12. Ben Green cemented his position as leading wicket-taker in the competition with four for 33, taking his tally to 20, while Josh Davey claimed three for 32.

In reply, Somerset were restricted to 167 for nine, Tom Banton top-scoring with 54 and Tom Abell making 39. Curran finished with five for 26 and Jordan two for 31.

The battle of the most successful sides in the South Group drew a packed crowd of around 7,000 to the Cooper Associates County Ground where a straw-coloured pitch suggested they would witness a feast of runs.

After Craig Overton and Matt Henry had bowled the first two overs for four runs each, Jacks launched the Surrey assault with a six over extra cover off Overton.

Particularly strong through the off-side, Jacks then dispatched a Henry yorker through point for four and cleared the long-off ropes off Davey in leading his side to 44 without loss off the six-over power play.

Laurie Evans scooped a six off Lewis Gregory and pulled a maximum off Green, who broke the opening stand of 71 in the ninth over when Evans was pouched at deep mid-wicket by Abell for 28.

It was the first of four Abell boundary catches as Somerset backed their bowlers with some superb fielding. But they couldn’t stop Jacks reaching a brilliant fifty off 37 balls, with 4 fours and 4 sixes.

Tom Curran fell to another Abell catch off Davey for 15 and Jacks departed when lofting a Roelof van der Merwe full toss to Henry at long-off.

Jamie Overton smacked 20 off just nine balls against his old county, including 2 sweetly struck sixes, before falling to the best of Abell’s catches, a low diving effort off Green at deep mid-wicket.

But Tom Curran and Sean Abott fell cheaply and when Surrey reached the end of the 18^th over on 155 for seven it seemed they might fall short of a challenging total.

Jordan had other ideas, taking 30 off the penultimate over from Henry, which also included a wide. His sequence of scoring shots was 2,6,6,4,6,6 in a murderous exhibition of clean hitting.

It looked a match-turning contribution. Somerset were typically positive with the bat in response, Banton scooping a six over fine-leg and upper-cutting another over third man in the opening over, sent down by Abbott.

Will Smeed followed up with 2 fours off Sam Curran, who then stemmed the flying start by having him caught at deep cover. The standard of fielding was maintained when Gus Atkinson held an excellent catch at mid-on to dismiss Tom Kohler-Cadmore in Curran’s second over.

Banton and Abell took the score to 51 for two by the end of the power play. Both looked in supreme touch as the partnership flourished, Banton sweeping a six and four off Sunil Narine’s first over and Abell slog-sweeping sixes off successive balls in the off-spinner’s second.

The fifty stand came off 28 balls as Somerset reached the halfway stage of their innings on 99 for two. But the first ball of the 11^th over saw Abell nick a catch behind off Gus Atkinson.

A six and a single off Narine, who switched ends, took Banton to his second Blast fifty of the season off 33 balls. Curran returned to end his innings, courtesy of a miscued drive to mid-off. The same over, the 14^th, saw Sean Dickson run out in a mix-up with Gregory over a second run and Gregory pull a catch to deep mid-wicket.

Somerset were suddenly 120 for six. Green gave them hope with 2 sixes and a four off Narine, whose four overs cost 55. But Jordan ended any doubt about the outcome by sending back Roelof van der Merwe and Green in the 17^th over.

 

 

June 16: Sussex Sharks v Hampshire Hawks (County Ground, Hove)

Oli Carter and Brad Currie were the unlikely heroes as Sussex Sharks upset Hampshire Hawks at Hove to claim only their third win in this season’s Vitality Blast.

In quick-scoring conditions at the 1^st Central County Ground the reigning champions dragged things back well after Carter (64) and skipper Ravi Bopara (30) took Sussex to 127 for 2 in the 12^th over with a stand of 98 in nine overs.

They departed in successive overs and although Sussex got to 183 for 6 it didn’t look enough in quick-scoring conditions.

But by the second ball of the third over Hampshire had slumped to 15 for 3 and were soon 24 for 4. Although Liam Dawson made 59 off 34 balls and their lower order batters kept swinging Sussex won by six runs.

Debutant Currie started his first over with two wides but then had James Vince caught at deep mid-wicket before Toby Albert played on to the next ball. The hat-trick delivery was also a wide but Sussex were celebrating again  when Ben McDermott was pinned in front of middle stump by Ari Karvelas at the start of the next over. 

The 24-year-old left-armer, who will be playing for Dorset in the National Counties Trophy against Wales on Sunday, took his third wicket in his second over when Ross Whiteley dragged on, leaving Hampshire 24 for 4.

Joe Weatherley (33) and Dawson rebuilt in a stand of 51 and even after Weatherley fatally swung across the line to a straight ball from Ravi Bopara, Dawson didn’t give up.

He reached his sixth fifty in the format and had just hit George Garton into the flats overlooking the ground for his fifth six when the left-armer hit the top of off stump with his next ball.  

But this was a night for Currie. He added to his three wickets with a sensational catch when he made ten yards to his left and dived full length on the mid-wicket boundary to take a two-handed grab and remove Howell. Even then, with 22 needed off the final over, Nathan Ellis scored 12 off the first three balls but was leg before to the fifth from Karvelas as Hampshire finished on 177 for 9.   

The unexpected star of the Sussex innings was 19-year-old Carter, who smashed 64 off just 33 balls in only his sixth game in the format. His previous highest score was 27 against Essex earlier this month but he made the most of his chance at No.3 to hit six fours and four sixes, including successive maximums off James Fuller to become only the third Sussex batter to lodge a fifty in this season’s Blast.

Skipper Bopara has made two of them and when he and Carter were putting on 98 from 54 balls for the third wicket the holders looked a little rattled.

But, as experienced sides tend to do, the Hawks held their nerve and Sussex struggled to regain the initiative after Bopara, who had just heaved the returning Howell over mid-wicket, played on trying to repeat the shot to the next ball.

Carter played shots all around the wicket and demonstrated eye-catching improvisation, but he departed four balls later giving himself room to heave over cow corner only to pick out Ellis, who took a good catch, instead. That was in the 12th over and Sussex didn’t score another boundary until the 17th as Howell and Dawson, whose four overs cost just 21, kept things tight.  

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