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Smith hits out for Hampshire victory

Hants (188-7) bt Essex (187-4) by 3 wickets

A magnificent unbeaten 97 from their captain, Robin Smith, guided Hampshire to victory yesterday in a game reduced by a damp outfield to 33 overs a side. That result left Essex without a National League win since June 19.

With Hampshire needing six runs from the final over, bowled by young Ricky Anderson, Smith glanced the first for four and front-edged the next to mid-on, where Peter Such dropped a dolly. Adrian Aymes then pushed the winning single.

Hampshire, who chose to field first, began badly, Jason Laney falling to the first ball, and steady bowling from Ronnie Irani, who took a one-day best five for 33, and Ashley Cowan reduced them to 34 for three.

Giles White helped Smith to add 54 for the fourth wicket but things looked bleak for Hampshire when White fell lbw. Smith, however, reaching a composed fifty with a straight six from his 76th ball, now cut loose.

Cuts, drives and another on-driven six, also off Paul Grayson, brought the asking rate down from nine an over to six. Smith, whose last 45 runs came off only 28 balls, deserved that late stroke of luck.

Earlier, the Essex batsmen, given a brisk start by Paul Prichard and Stuart Law, had performed consistently, the highlight of their innings being a violent 48 from Danny Law which came off 39 balls and included five fours and two sixes.

One of Law's sixes landed on the pavilion roof, shattering tiles. After he had been caught behind aiming to cut, an unbeaten fifth wicket stand of 61 between Stephen Peters and Grayson ensured a stiff target for Hampshire.