Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Nathan Ellis blasts Hampshire to Finals Day with career-best figures

Written by 
Published in Cricket
Friday, 07 July 2023 14:48

Hampshire 102 for 5 (Prest 25, Weatherley 25) beat Worcestershire 100 (Usama Mir 39, Ellis 4-6) by five wickets

Defending champions Hampshire Hawks will face Essex in the Vitality Blast semi-final on Finals Day after Nathan Ellis razed Worcestershire Rapids with his career best.

Ellis claimed 4 for 6, with Chris Wood and John Turner both picking up two scalps each in a supreme bowling performance.

The Rapids had an enterprising 70-run stand between Usama Mir and Ed Pollock - but it was bookended by slumping to 29 for 6 and then losing the last four wickets for one run as they were rolled for 100.

The Hawks spluttered to the target to win by five wickets and reach their 10th Finals Day and maintain their hopes of being the first team to win the Blast back-to-back.

The Rapids had never played a Blast match at the Ageas Bowl, and had only faced the Hawks once in the format. On that occasion, in 2015, James Vince blitzed an unbeaten century as Hampshire totted up 196 before Worcestershire reached 58 for 2, then the floodlight-less New Road got too dark.

The Rapids would have dreamed of a total eclipse of the hot evening sun and a power failure amid their first collapse, which began with a wicket in each of the first four overs.

Jack Haynes lasted until the fourth ball of the innings before a leading edge was well caught and bowled by Chris Wood.

The Blast's breakthrough fast bowler John Turner added Brett D'Oliveira as his 19th victim by cartwheeling his leg stump after an attempted scoop.

Mitchell Santner and Adam Hose both picked out fielders - a brilliant long on catch from Vince and spliced to square leg respectively.

Two wicketless overs were a mere interlude before James Fuller's wicket maiden accounted for Kashif Ali and Ben Cox chipped to midwicket.

But Mir and Pollock salvaged things with a 70-run stand, which included 16 runs off a Liam Dawson over, with the fifty-partnership coming off 45 balls with a six over long on.

The second collapse was as ugly as the first as four wickets fell in eight balls for a single run to end a sorry innings.

Mir's thick outside edge off Benny Howell was easily caught at short third before Ellis splayed the tail with three wickets in four balls - Adam Finch yorked, Dillon Pennington caught at cover and Pat Brown leg before.

Aneurin Donald replaced Ben McDermott - who had a back spasm - with the gloves and at the top of the order, and crunched the first ball of the reply through the leg side but edged behind soon after.

Vince was caught at cover but is now 20 runs away from equalling his 678 runs from last season - reaching that would give him the best three Blast seasons. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that he could better his annus mirabilis of 710 runs in 2015.

Tom Prest hit three fours and a six in a happy-go-lucky 25 before he was well caught playing the reverse sweep, with Dawson falling in similar style.

Joe Weatherley got the run chase within five before skying but the Hawks stayed on track for a third Blast title and condemned the Rapids to their sixth quarter-final defeat in eight attempts.

Read 127 times

Soccer

Sources: Van Nistelrooy set for Leicester job

Sources: Van Nistelrooy set for Leicester job

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFormer Manchester United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy is in line to...

Bale backs stuttering Mbappé: Still world's best

Bale backs stuttering Mbappé: Still world's best

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFormer Real Madrid star Gareth Bale defended Kylian Mbappé after th...

Carlo: Pen miss shows Mbappé 'lack of confidence'

Carlo: Pen miss shows Mbappé 'lack of confidence'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCarlo Ancelotti said Kylian Mbappé is suffering from "a lack of con...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Injury-plagued Beal hobbles off in loss to Nets

Injury-plagued Beal hobbles off in loss to Nets

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX -- Suns guard Bradley Beal limped off the court in the four...

OKC wins but sees Jalen Williams (eye) exit early

OKC wins but sees Jalen Williams (eye) exit early

EmailPrintSAN FRANCISCO -- Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams exited Wednesday's 105-101 win...

Baseball

Dodgers minor leaguer suspended for doping

Dodgers minor leaguer suspended for doping

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Jose D. Hernandez was sus...

Crawford, 2-time WS champ with Giants, retires

Crawford, 2-time WS champ with Giants, retires

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSAN FRANCISCO -- Brandon Crawford is retiring after 14 major league...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated