Katich 50 Takes Royals Top

Report from the Hampshire Royals' Clydesdale Bank 40 match against the Durham Dynamos at The Ageas Bowl

 Hampshire Royals v Durham Dynamos
Clydesdale Bank 40
Sunday 15 July 2012
The Ageas Bowl

Summary: Hampshire beat Durham by four wickets
Durham Dynamos: 200-7
Hampshire Royals: 201-6 (38.2 ovs)
Scorecard
Concurrent Table

Royals Team
Adams*, Vince, Katich, McKenzie, Ervine, Dawson, Mascarenhas, Ali, Wood, Bates+, Briggs
Dynamos Team
Stoneman, Mustard+, Stokes, Myburgh, Collingwood, Benkenstein+, Muchall, Borthwick, Claydon, Breese, Onions

A fierce three-over spell of batting in a Simon Katich knock of 59* saw the Hampshire Royals to a four-wicket victory over the Durham Dynamos in their Clydesdale Bank 40 match at The Ageas Bowl and, more importantly, took his side top of Group B after seven games.

The Australian struck three sixes and a four just after the match had moved into it's final ten overs to put the Royals in charge of a run-chase that they had previously flirted with the possibility of falling short of. Backed up by some expansive stroke-play from Dimitri Mascarenhas (22 off 11 balls), the hosts got over the line with 10 balls to spare.  

Earlier in the day, an equally as impressive unbeaten 96 from Dynamos batsman Gordon Muchall had helped set Hampshire 201 for victory.

The Royals now move on to play another pretender to their new Group B crown, Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. It's a match that could not only prove pivotal to both side's chances in this competition, but also an excellent reconnaissance mission for the Royals, who will play the same opposition at the same venue in the Friends Life t20 Quarter Final a week on Wednesday.

 

The Hampshire changing room has a sign that says, simply, “Set the Tone” and that’s exactly what Kabir Ali (3-39 off six overs) - pictured below - did, registering a maiden with his first over and strangling Phil Mustard (5) down leg side with the first delivery of his next. And Mustard’s opening partner, Mark Stoneman (16), would also be out before the end of the compulsory powerplay, going half-heartedly at a Mascarenhas (1-27) delivery and tamely chipping to Sean Ervine at mid-off.

The Royals continued to apply the tourniquet into the next four overs of bowling powerplay, allowing just 12 runs off it, pulling the run-rate down in the process and adding the bonus of a Chris Wood (1-40) wicket which nipped back to remove Ben Stokes’ (1) leg stump; Durham 49-3 off 12 overs.

Nevertheless, everyone around the ground knew that former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood (28) would be the key wicket. It was he who top scored in the CB40 match between these two here last season and, though visibly still struggling somewhat with a recent hand injury (even taking it off the bat and shaking it on several occasions), he certainly had his eye in. It was going to take something out of the ordinary to get him out and that’s exactly what it got as Muchall called him for a suicidal run and Jimmy Adams, diving forward from cover took a direct hit to see him off.

Shellshocked, the Dynamos’ innings lost, well, dynamism and Hampshire would have been more than happy to have their opponents 76-4 at the halfway stage. Indeed, by the time Durham reached their 100 in the 28th over, they had scored just one boundary in the last 15 overs.

A short, sharp burst saw 17 and 14 come off the last two overs as Muchall sensed the opportunity for only a second career List A century. Alas, he would fall just short but his late fireworks had ensured a harder looking chase for the Royals than Durham’s overall innings had perhaps deserved.

Needing anything more than five runs per over for victory, home batsmen Adams (33) and James Vince (40) started in a measured fashion, reaching 41 by the end of the compulsory powerplay (two runs ahead of their opponents at the same stage) and their side had extended their over-comparison lead to 14 by 20-over mark, Hampshire’s 90-2 playing Durham’s 76-4 at the same stage.

However, by this point, both openers had gone in successive overs so a certain degree of rebuilding was required. Good thing, then, that Hampshire’s next three batsmen – Katich, Neil McKenzie (15) and Sean Ervine (19) – not only have a wealth of experience but also a good deal of International pedigree. And although the South African would depart lbw to Mitch Claydon, the three of them together would combine to put on 70 runs. It was steady, but as Hampshire came into the final ten overs needing 65 off 60 balls, it was still very much in the balance.

Sensing the need for speed, Katich dispatched Scott Borthwick over the ropes twice and blasted a consecutive four and six off Ben Stokes between the 32nd and 34th over to take himself to a 52-ball half century. Now the equation was less than a run a ball; all he needed was a team-mate to back him up.

Mascarenhas would do much more than that. Announcing his arrival with a slog-swept six and following up with a pulled four, the England One-Day International hero was in no mood to take this to the wire. He would again clear the ropes before falling to a questionable lbw shout.

By that time, however, he'd put the Royals to within two runs of their target. New batsman Ali (1*) nudged the single that signalled the win; a fitting way to finish the thoroughly professional performance he, himself, had teed up. 

Words: Simon Vincent
Images: NJM Photography

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