Carberry's Canterbury run-spree continues

Former Kent batsman Michael Carberry took his Canterbury run-spree for July to 303 in three innings as he put his old side to the sword and helped inspire Hampshire to a seventh South Group win as they beat a youthful Kent by 62 runs.

Fresh from scoring 154 and 66 in the corresponding County Championship clash here two weeks ago, Surrey-born Carberry returned to hit 11 fours and a six in an unbeaten 83 as Hampshire posted an impressive 20-over total of 185 for 6.

In pursuit a young host side, without the likes of Rob Key, Brendan Nash, Michael Powell, Vernon Philander and Charlie Shreck, were held to 123 for 9 as offspinner Liam Dawson caused havoc with competition-best figures of 4 for 19.

Kent lost openers Daniel Bell-Drummond (12) and Fabian Cowdrey (13) in the fifth over of their reply bowled by Dimitri Mascarenhas and, by the end of the Powerplay, were already 30 runs off the pace set by Hampshire. By the mid-point of their reply Kent's asking rate had already soared to 12 an over, but Darren Stevens briefly warmed to the task by clubbing three sixes in the space of 11 balls, only to lose Sam Billings to a catch in the deep off Dawson.

Three balls later and without addition, Stevens top-edged a sweep off Dawson to fine leg to go for 39 off 28 balls and, when Dawson had Alex Blake stumped first ball to make it 69 for 5, Kent's hopes of a third win and completing a double over Hampshire were in tatters.

With a home quarter final tie already assured, Hampshire set out to avenge their sole South Group defeat at the hands of Kent by batting first on a pristine pitch that helped openers Carberry and James Vince to put 20 on board within nine deliveries of the start.

Vince clubbed a brace of leg side sixes off Mitch Claydon, but the on-loan Durham seamer won quick revenge by clipping the top of Vince's off stump as he again heaved toward cow corner. Carberry upped his tempo by taking four boundaries in Claydon's next over, but Mark Davies stemmed the flow by having Jimmy Adams caught off a thick edge by Claydon at short third man, yet even so, Hampshire cantered to 62 for 2 by the end of their six Powerplay overs.

To his credit, rookie offspinner Adam Riley, Kent's most frugal bowler with 0 for 21, and veteran seamer Stevens temporarily restricted the boundary count to limit Royals to 84 for 2 at the innings mid-point, but Carberry ploughed on to a 33-ball 50 with seven fours and a six. He helped add 94 in 11.1 overs with Neil McKenzie before the latter was run out for 45 when attempting a sharp single to Stevens at wide mid-on.

Then, a fit again Hants' skipper Mascarenhas fell to a spectacular overhead catch at long leg by Ben Harmison after hooking at a Matt Coles bouncer. Coles picked up a fortunate second scalp Sean Ervine clipped a low full toss to long-on, and Claydon closed with a costly 2 for 55 when he bowled Dawson with the final delivery of the innings. But Carberry refused to budge and carried his bat for 83 from 56 balls.