O'Brien Century Secures Win for Steelbacks

Northamptonshire beat Hampshire by seven wickets in their Clydesdale Bank 40 match at The Rose Bowl.

HAMPSHIRE royals v NOrthants steelbacks
clydesdale bank 40
friday 20 May 2011
The rose bowl

Summary: Northamptonshire beat Hampshire by seven wickets
Hampshire Royals: 200-9
Northamptonshire Steelbacks: 204-3 (34.5 ovs)
Click here for a full scorecard

Hampshire Team
Myburgh, Howell, Vince, Ervine, McKenzie, Dawson, Mascarenhas, Cork*, Bates⁺, Briggs, Jones

Northants Team

Newton, Peters, O'Brian⁺, Wakely, Sales, White, Hall*, Middlebrook, Willey, Daggett, Brooks

A Niall O’Brien century guided the Northamptonshire Steelbacks to a seven wicket victory over the Hampshire Royals in the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition at The Rose Bowl.

The Irishman, whose brother Kevin once scored 94 against Hampshire in a Friends Provident Trophy match on the same ground, eclipsed all that had gone before him with a fluent 121 that took just 94 balls to reach.

That means he will, unfortunately, steal all the headlines on a night when Hampshire’s James Vince recorded another good knock of 58 and put on a second wicket partnership of 79 with Benny Howell. Dimitri Mascarenhas also took a wicket on his return to The Rose Bowl.

But O’Brien’s partnerships with Stephen Peters (79) and Alex Wakely (85) turned the tables and the visitors reached a target of 201 in 34.5 overs.

Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B Table – Game 4

The home side won the toss and elected to bat in warm, sunny conditions. But Vince was called into action earlier than planned after Johann Myburgh departed without scoring and the twenty year old had to set about correcting the early wicket.

But that he did, alongside opener Howell as the pair constructed their partnership around some fine shot selection, including some lovely boundaries to all areas of the field. A particularly fine sixth over yielded 10 runs and the young pair looked to be getting into their stride.

Though Howell (31) would fall edging a Lee Daggett delivery behind the stumps for O'Brien to collect Vince would continue on, smashing yet more excellent cover drives to take his side to the brink of 100 in the 24th over.

But when he also edged a ball behind the Royals’ confidence seemed to dip and after a period in which they went 61 balls without hitting a boundary, the hosts then lost two quick wickets as McKenzie (25) and Ervine (11) departed, leaving them 128-4.

Time for some inspiration; time for the return of Dimi Mascarenhas to the Rose Bowl crease. The former club captain injected some urgency into the innings, sweetly timing a shot to the ropes to take his team to 150. How unfortunate, then, to be out in the most unusual fashion, as a mix up between himself and Liam Dawson saw the youngster run, while Mascarenhas stayed – the latter run out for just 12.

And though Dawson (41) added some valuable runs towards the end of the innings Hampshire also lost regular wickets, the full over quota coming at just about the right time; the Royals 200-9. 

The total had looked competitive and when Mascarenhas then grabbed an early wicket - Rob Newman caught and bowled for just 8 – it looked like game on.

Simon Jones then had an LBW appeal turned down much to his disappointment; however the delivery was recorded at 93.4 MPH making it the quickest recorded ball of this season.

And the visitors used this slice of fortune to start the rebuilding process - O’Brien and Peters (40) reaching a 50 partnership before Dawson trapped the latter lbw just before the half-way mark in the innings – the Hampshire spinner’s first CB40 wicket of the season.

But that would be about as good as it got for the home side as the crucial partnership of the match – between O’Brien and Wakely – gathered pace taking the Steelbacks to the brink of victory.

O’Brien was eventually clean bowled by Jones but it was too late for Dominic Cork’s side as their opponents were left to collect the 14 runs required and the subsequent two points.

The Royals have no time to dwell on this result, though, as they travel to Whitgift School on Sunday to take on Surrey in the same competition.

Words: Ryan Day
Images: Oliver Zee (middle) /
LMI Photography (top)

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