Middlesex recovery stuns Hampshire

Middlesex batsmen Simon Cook and James Dalrymple fashioned an unlikely Middlesex victory with a vicious late assault on the Hampshire bowling at the Rose Bowl.

Cook and Dalrymple smashed 65 in only six overs as Hampshire threw away a winning position of their own and leaves them outsiders for promotion with only one match to play.

Cook was merciless as Hampshire fell away under the barrage. Even their England bowler Alan Mullally came in for some heavy punishment with 19 runs coming off his penultimate over as 35 came from the last 13 balls of the match.

A Middlesex victory looked remote when Paul Weekes was fifth out at 151 leaving Middlesex needing 70 to win in six overs. But then Cook and Dalrymple got going to ensure a Middlesex victory by four wickets and with five balls to spare.

Earlier Giles White and John Francis each scored half-centuries as Hampshire built a solid total of 220 for 9. Weekes took three leg wickets to finish with three for 37 while White's 59 was his top score in the competition this season. Francis confirmed his potential with an unbeaten 57, which was made off 83 balls.

There was nothing about the start to the Middlesex innings, which suggested alarm for Hampshire later with Andrew Strauss and John Maunders dispatched with 30 on the board.

Owais Shah and Irishman Ed Joyce put together a stand of 98 for the third wicket but in 22 overs and once Shah had gone for a brisk 69 off 100 balls, he was swiftly followed by Joyce who gave Shaun Udal a comfortable return catch.

This merely opened the way for big-hitting Cook and the inexperienced Dalrymple to seize the initiative from Hampshire and although Dalrymple was out in Chris Tremlett's last over the damage was done.

David Nash was at the other end as Cook struck Mullally's first delivery at the last over for four to complete Hampshire's humiliation.