Dimi Bows Out as Royals Defeated in Semi
Sep 7 2013
Dimi brings to an end a 17-year career
Hampshire Royals v Glamorgan
Yorkshire Bank 40
Saturday 7 September 2013
The Ageas Bowl
Summary: Glamorgan beat Hampshire by 31 runs
Glamorgan: 234-4
Hampshire Royals: 203-8
Scorecard
Photo Gallery
Hampshire
Vince, Roberts, Adams*, Dawson, McKenzie, Ervine, Wheater+, Mascarenhas, Wood, Tanvir, Briggs
Glamorgan
Wallace*+, Rees, Cooke, Goodwin, Wright, Allenby, Wagg, Salter, Cosker, Hogan, Jones
In Dimitri Mascarenhas’ farewell appearance at The Ageas Bowl, The Hampshire Royals fell 31 runs short of the 234 set by Glamorgan, mainly thanks the performance of Jim Allenby who scored 74* and produced a fine bowling display of 2-18 off eight overs.
Scores of 59 from Jimmy Adams and 54 from Sean Ervine proved not to be enough as Michael Hogan’s final spell left him with figures of 4-51 from his eight.
The Royals finished on 203-8. Their guests now go on to Lord’s to have a chance to steal Hampshire’s Yorkshire Bank 40 crown from them.
Adams, winning the toss in cloudy conditions, elected to put the visitors into bat - a decision which has served Hampshire well during the YB40 campaign so far. And it looked to be doing so once again as the visitors made a pedestrian start, reaching 99-3 just after the half way stage.
However, Glamorgan batsmen Allenby and Murray Goodwin consolidated their side’s innings during the middle overs, adding a partnership of 51 in 66 balls. During this period, the home crowd did, at least, have the privilege of witnessing Mascarenhas bowl the final over of his career and they acknowledged it accordingly, applauding the Hampshire legend throughout; he finished with figures of 8-0-39-0.
Breaking the partnership, however, was the most important thing and Sohail Tanvir, bowling the next over, did just that, removing Goodwin (27) with a well-disguised slower ball that was lobbed to Liam Dawson at mid-wicket. Adam Wheater then produced a fine piece of keeping which almost removed Allenby; however he was denied the stumping by third umpire Michael Gough; replays showing the decision was very close.
Allenby and Ben Wright aggressively moved the Glamorgan score on as they added a partnership of 84 in 50 balls, the first 50 of which came off just 35 balls. Wright played the more attacking role as he added 20 runs to the total in a single over. Allenby then brought up his 50 with a single off Tanvir (2-40), Glamorgan 198-4 in the 38th over.
Unfortunately, having previously bowled tightly, Hampshire’s bowlers went for 57 runs off the last four overs of the innings at a rate of 14.25. Together, Allenby (74*) and Wright (47*) took their side to 234-4, leaving the hosts requiring 5.85 runs an over to make their second consecutive Lord’s final.
The home side’s innings started similarly to their Welsh counterparts’ with Allenby – who recently signed a long-term deal at the SWALEC – keeping things tight as he bowled his eight overs straight through. Crucially, he also took wickets, as James Vince (20), looking to play some more attacking shots to relieve the pressure, was bowled. He also had Michael Roberts (23) caught in the deep on the leg side with the score on 49 in the 12th over and the required run rate up to nearly six and a half an over.
In the next over, third umpire Gough had another tough call to make as Wallace almost had Neil McKenzie (7) stumped off the bowling of Dean Cosker. However less than two overs later, Cosker and Wallace got their revenge as the two combined to run the South African out in his last game for Hampshire this season, leaving the defending champions 72-3. At the halfway stage the home side was 12 runs behind where their Glamorgan counterparts were at the same stage on 80-3.
At the start of the 29th over Hampshire decided to enforce the batting powerplay as the required run rate had reached more than ten. The first over of it went well for the home side, yielding 11 runs, but the remainder of the four overs would see the rate slow down. On the plus side, captain Adams reached his half century off 73 balls (four fours and one six) during this time but by the start of the 33rd over, the required rate up was up to eleven-an-over with the score 147-3.
Just as Hampshire had looked to be gaining momentum, scoring 12 off the 34th, Hogan bowled a slower ball which made Adams play a false shot giving him a return catch and his first wicket of the game; it also broke an 86-run partnership with Ervine. Still battling soon afterwards, the Zimbabwean reached his 50 off just 49 balls with a six hit back over the bowler’s head.
However, once he was gone (Hampshire now 177-5) the match was slipping away from the Royals. The 36th and 37th over produced two wickets as Wagg removed Wheater (1) and then Hogan picked up his third, removing Dawson (17) and leaving Hampshire needing 40 off two overs with Mascarenhas and Chris Wood at the crease. Wagg (1-38) went for just five off the penultimate over and Hampshire’s fate was all but sealed.
All that was left was for Hogan (4-51) to complete the innings by bowling Wood (3) off the final ball leaving Mascarenhas stranded on 8. It was hardly an ending befitting of the all-rounder’s contribution to Hampshire over the years but when Hampshire fans look back they will have many more memories to remember Dimi fondly by.
Words: Chloe Glass
Images: LMI Photography
Preview
The Royals will be especially pleased to have secured a home tie for this match – they won all six of their home fixtures during the group stages and haven’t been beaten in this competition for more than a year at The Ageas Bowl.
Add to that, the fact that they have won their last six completed List A matches against Glamorgan (an unbeaten run that stretches back to 2006) including their last four at home against them, and the stats are stacked in the hosts’ favour.
However, the visitors are on a strong run of form, having won six of their last seven matches in Group C to go through as the best runners-up in the country.
Against the reigning Champions, Glamorgan are seeking a place in their first one-day final at Lord's since 2000 and will be wearing a retro blue and yellow shirt for the match, the same as the one in which they won the 1993 Sunday League title.