Hawks home again after Curran’s heroics ruined opening-night show
Hampshire Hawks host Kent on Sunday aiming to put their opening-night
T20 Blast loss firmly behind them.
Tom Curran produced heroics with bat and ball to give Surrey a five-wicket victory at The Utilita
Bowl on Thursday – some revenge for last weekend’s Cchampionship mauling at the same venue.
The fast bowler claimed 3-32 to help restrict Hawks to 162 befoe arriving in the middle with 63 needed off 38 balls to smash 37 off 20.
Toby Albert, who had hit a maiden first-class century against Surrey a few days earlier, top scored with 46 off 32 balls for the hosts, sharing a 62-run fourth wicket stand with Joe Weatherley (33) in 41 balls.
At the halfway point of Surrey’s chase, they were over a run behind the rate and had lost three of their premium batters.
Dan Lawrence was strangled down legside by Michael Neser, Laurie Evans was castled by James Fuller, and captain Ollie Pope was stumped off Liam Dawson.
The 43 runs added by Evans and Roy was followed by 33 between Roy and Jamie
Smith, before John Turner got Roy to chop on and Smith skied to long off.
But Curran took centre strage with a strike-rate over 200 from almost ball one, with two sixes and two fours as Surrey won with four balls to spare.
Albert said: “It isn’t an ideal way to start the competition. Even with five overs to go we thought that we had a chance but Curran did really well at the end.
“In T20 you have never won the game and they had good players to come in at the back end of their order.
“From three down early (Hawks were 23-3) we did well to get to the score we did. You always want more but about 20 more would have been about right.
“Hopefully we can put it right against Kent.”
Hawks will need to make at least one change as Ali Orr, who batted at No 3, suffered a broken arm during Thursday’s defeat.