Hampshire run out of ideas in Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy

The proverbial saying "lost it after we had won it" would not be out of place, as Hampshire managed to give away 29 runs in nine balls to conceded defeat to Sussex in nightmare fashion.

John Crawley won the toss again, and as with the other one-day matches over the bank holiday, decided to bat first. In form Nic Pothas was given the task of opening with his captain, with Derek Kenway being left out after a poor run of form.

Pothas provided the early runs as Crawley paced himself, but the skipper after a painstaking 26 balls, played on to James Kirtley. Robin Smith played a couple of cracking shots, but he edged a ball from Billy Taylor, and Pothas in effect ran himself out for 40. He attempted a second run, without really telling his partner Simon Katich he was coming.

Wasim Akram pushed up the order to try and increase the run rate, did just that as he and his Aussie partner started to flay the Sussex bowlers, until the second run out saw him dismissed for 38 in just 40 balls, including two sixes.

This set back slowed down the progress, as James Hamblin and Dimitri Mascarenhas both fell cheaply, Mascarenhas being the third Hampshire batsman to be run out. A quick fire 21 from Will Kendall assisted Katich to achieve his highest score for Hampshire so far since joining them, but the 213 runs scored off 50 overs did not seem enough.

Sussex started well despite losing Richard Montgomerie early on, Ambrose, Goodwin and Chris Adams all made contributions, but against some very tight bowling the continually fell behind the asking rate. Wickets fell with only the Sussex captain holding the home side's progress up and with 5 overs remaining; the visitors were looking at 12 an over, and with 48 overs gone required 29 for victory.

Wasim Akram who had bowled with venom then conceded 20 runs in his last over as Adams and Mark Davis went on the attack, and the pair sewed up an unlikely victory with three balls to spare. Adams with 80 not out, that included three sixes was named man of the match.