Hampshire have now secured their place in the One-Day Cup semi-finals. In today’s semifinal they outlasted the remaining home team, Middlesex, by 42 runs in an electric quarter-final at the Ageas Bowl. They made 229 runs for 9 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Meanwhile, Middlesex were all out for 187 in 45.3 overs to hand Hampshire an emphatic win by 88 runs.
Ali Orr was the hero of the piece for Hampshire, her 108 runs making all the difference. His century anchored the team’s innings and set a challenging target for Middlesex to chase down. James Fuller provided vital support, hitting 42 to help put England in a commanding position. He and his partner built a crucial partnership together, contributing 96 runs for the fourth wicket off only 18 overs. This partnership would turn out to be major in helping Hampshire’s total exceed 200 runs.
Middlesex’s response started positively but then quickly struggled to cope with a relentless bowling attack from Hampshire. Sam Robson had been Middlesex’s top scorer with just 48 runs, with the opening batter’s efforts failing to rescue them victory. Nathan Fernandes and Toby Roland-Jones offered short-lived resistance with 42 and 39 not out. With Middlesex’s wickets tumbling at regular intervals, forming a partnership was proving difficult.
Hampshire’s bowling attack was menacing from ball one to the last, and Liam Dawson and Henry Brookes were the main acts. Dawson took control of the match with four wickets for just 33 runs. At the other end, Brookes was magnificent, taking four for 53 and claiming the vital scalps of Fletcha Middleton and Ben Brown. Combined with some ranked underdogged determination in their fielding, their performances eviscerated Middlesex’s batting order, rendering them helpless in pursuit of the target.
Middlesex had a trio of changes to their side ahead of the game. To boost their hopes, they re-signed long-serving players Roland-Jones and Ryan Higgins. Even with the changes made, the team was still unable to find the right momentum to successfully run down Hampshire’s total.
That final was contested in a shoot-out style format with Hampshire batting first after winning the toss. Orr’s hundred was a study in aggressive restraint and focused accuracy that proved too much for the unlucky Middlesex bowlers. His stimulation of an imaginative overflow was underpinned by Fuller’s dour innings, which gave solidity to a shaky middle order after the loss of early wickets.
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