Hampshire fail to build the partnerships to trouble Middlesex

Hampshire's batting, lacking the substance which was so prevalent in the Middlesex middle order earlier in the day, gradually crumbled as they chased 226 for victory.

Not only did they fail to achieve their target but with this 25-run defeat they have failed to qualify for the quarter-final stage of the Benson & Hedges Cup.

Their run rate was kept behind by Middlesex's accurate attack to the extent that Robin Smith scored only six from 36 balls before he was dismissed three balls later having added five more to his score. It was a brilliant direct hit at the bowler's end from Chad Keegan that caught Smith short of his ground in going for a quick single.

Hampshire's batsmen struggled to form partnerships with the exception of the sixth-wicket stand of 47 between John Stephenson, their top scorer with 31, and Dimitri Mascarenhas who hit 25 off 32 balls. It took them to 152 for six but by then they were already faced with an uphill task

South African born seamer Chad Keegan, who had claimed two wickets earlier, added another to his name when he had Mascarenhas caught on the mid-wicket boundary. These were his first crop of wickets for the county that he joined only this season

Apart from the disciplined bowling, Hampshire had to cope with some excellent fielding which brought about two run-outs and an athletic, leaping catch by Ben Hutton. Hampshire seemed to struggle all along to their final total of 200 for eight.

Earlier, Owais Shah, having missed a half-century by just two runs in the mid-week match against Kent, was back in the runs with a brilliant unbeaten century which brought him the Gold Award for the player of the match

Middlesex, after deciding to bat first, had begun poorly, losing three wickets for 54 after the first hour's play. It was left to Shah to first revive the innings and then guide it, which he did so deftly, taking it to a position of some strength.

He looked in dominating form; the Hampshire bowlers made little impression on him as he gradually went on the offensive, picking up three sixes on the way, all hit to the mid-wicket area. The last of those big hits landed in the top tier of the grandstand and took him to 99. A single off the next ball, the 99th he had faced, brought him a much deserved century, his third in limited-overs cricket for Middlesex

He had featured in a 121-run stand with Paul Weekes whose valuable innings ended on 46 when he bacame Maccarenhas's second victim in the 44th over. By then Middlesex were going well and Shah was in masterly form, finishing on 118 from 109 balls, having hit nine boundaries in addition to those three bigger hits.