Panthers exit t20 after futile run chase

Hampshire 190-3 (20 ov) beat Middlesex 182-7 (20 ov) by eight runs
(Hampshire 2 pts, Middlesex 0 pts)

Middlesex fell nine runs short of the t20 quarter-finals as they were unable to overhaul an imposing target at Southampton.

Sean Ervine’s unbeaten 60 from just 34 balls took defending champions Hampshire to 190-3 in their 20 overs.

Panthers, who needed to win to give themselves a chance of progressing from the group stage, began well but lost touch with the run-rate in the middle overs.

Joe Denly smashed 67 off 44 balls including two sixes in the penultimate over but, although Surrey assisted them by beating Essex, it wasn’t enough to rescue Middlesex’s t20 campaign.

Hampshire, already through to the last eight, recovered from the early loss of openers Michael Carberry and James Vince to reach 89-2 at the 10-over mark.

Ollie Rayner took the key wicket of Jimmy Adams (43 from 29 balls) but the Royals accelerated in the second half of their innings, largely thanks to Zimbabwean Ervine.

He smashed Neil Dexter over the ropes three times and with Neil McKenzie (47 not out) put on what transpired to be a match-winning stand of 101 from 63 deliveries.

In response, Paul Stirling helped himself to 22 runs from Dmitri Mascarenhas’s first two overs but he again failed to build on a big-hitting start..

Adam Rossington and Dawid Malan fell within three balls of each other but Panthers were 78-3 at halfway, just shy of Hampshire’s score at the same point.

But the loss of Eoin Morgan for 29 and a couple of tight overs without any boundaries swung the match in Hampshire’s favour.

Denly and Dexter did their best to keep the scoreboard moving but Panthers were left needing 48 from the final three overs.

Dexter’s dismissal set Middlesex back further and although Denly’s fireworks late on gave them hope, their final over target of 17 proved just too much to prevent a fifth straight group stage exit.

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