Gubbins, Brown anchor chase as Hampshire go two from two
Hampshire 237 for six (Gubbins 63, Brown 59*, Donald 47) beat Essex 236 for 9 (Webster 73, Harmer 68, Barker 3-25) by 4 wickets
Nick Gubbins and Ben Brown‘s half-centuries maintained Hampshire’s 100 per cent begin to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, as they beat Essex by 4 wickets.
Captain Gubbins eased to a 63 whereas Brown ended a poor run of kind to tot up 59. The pair placed on 92 collectively, earlier than Aneurin Donald‘s thrilling 47 off 45 all however ended the competition.
But after Fletcha Middleton’s fast begin, Hampshire by no means appeared at risk and gained with simply over an over to spare to make it two wins from two within the competitors, and condemn Essex to 2 defeats and a no outcome.
Essex selected to bat, and after rain reduce the sport again to 45 overs a facet, discovered themselves on the receiving finish of a devastating Barker spell.
The veteran left-armer pinned Josh Rymell with an in-seamer along with his second ball, discovered Tom Westley slogging throughout the road to deep sq. and beat Robin Das for tempo with a ball that smashed into the highest of off stump.
Barker’s 3 for 25 off his 9 overs his finest List A figures for Hampshire and his finest since 4 for 33 for Warwickshire again in 2010.
The rampant begin noticed Essex 27 for 3, which turned 53 for 4 when Noah Thain pulled Scott Currie to advantageous leg, and at risk of replicating their 69 catastrophe towards Notts Outlaws.
Webster had already been spilt on 11 however with Harmer they corrected the malaise with an innings-defining 121-run stand.
The rebuild was largely performed in a risk-free method, gaining confidence all through to the stage the place each crashed sixes off Dom Kelly.
Webster’s fifty got here in 78 balls and Harmer’s with a reverse-sweep in 60 balls – however their demise noticed the remaining 5 wickets fall for 62 runs.
Hampshire had been hampered by Currie being withdrawn from the assault as a consequence of two no-balls – not helped however fixed drizzle making the ball soap-like – however Gubbins made up the overs with a pair of wickets to return 2 for twenty-four.
Ian Holland picked up 2 for 42 within the loss of life, with Felix Organ dismissing Aaron Beard and Essex ending up on 236.
Middleton, on the again of a maiden century, blazed his method out the gates with a 25-ball 36 in a 51-run opening stand. He was caught off a skier and Tom Prest nicked off as Jamie Porter took a quick-fire double.
Gubbins was much less fluent however, with Brown, glued the innings collectively to take any doable sting out the chase. The skilled pair placing on 92 for the third wicket, which included Webster bowling medium-pacers to Brown and offspin to Gubbins.
The former Middlesex batter had opened his season with 40 however handed that, and reached his half-century in 80 balls earlier than being bowled by Tom Westley’s first supply. Brown reached his first half-century in all codecs since April however fell leg-before to Harmer.
However, Donald had already entered and killed the competition along with his usually sprightly fashion – capped off with two towering sixes on the hook.
The Welshman fell making an attempt to convey up his half-century with a six to the lengthy boundary and Organ clothed to mid-on, however Barker comprehensively carved a boundary to win it.