Essex seal tie as Zampa runs out Northeast with two needed off last ball
Essex and Hampshire share the points for the second time in two years, as they maintain their slim quarter-final hopes
ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2019Hampshire and Essex Eagles tied for a second year in a row as Adam Zampa ran half-century maker Sam Northeast out off the last ball of a thrilling match.Hampshire, chasing 140 to win, needed 11 off the final over, having previously required 42 from three overs, before pulling it down to two runs from the last ball.With Northeast, who was on 72, on strike the batsman struck down the ground but could only find Zampa – who easily had Northeast out his ground attempting a second.Northeast had turned the match around with 73 from 56 balls, with the match seemingly Essex’s to win before the nervy finale.The shared points helps neither side in their hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals – they both sit on 11 points, two points adrift of Somerset and Middlesex.Having won the toss and chosen the bowl Hampshire struck early. Chris Wood continued his incredible first-over wicket-taking record when he had Tom Westley lbw to the first delivery of the match – it was the fifth time in this season’s Blast the left-armer had stuck in his first over.Kyle Abbott copied Wood in the next over as Essex were left 3 for 2 when Cameron Delport was brilliantly caught behind by Lewis McManus.Dan Lawrence and Adam Wheater then ambled along at around six an over in an 83-run stand for the third wicket to revive the innings – before Wheater was caught on the square boundary.Lawrence continued, though, with a series of delightful shots through and over the covers, to go with a towering six over midwicket. He passed 1,000 T20 runs and a 13th fifty of the season across all formats, off 37 balls.But as with his first 12 half-centuries, Lawrence couldn’t convert to three figures as he picked out Ian Holland at backward point while attempting a reverse scoop.Ryan ten Doeschate plumb lbw to Chris Morris and Abbott yorking Ravi Bopara and Simon Harmer in the same over to take figures of three for 15, also departed – leaving the Eagles on 139 for 7.Like Essex earlier, Hampshire lost both openers early on as James Vince and Rilee Rossouw both picked out Ravi Bopara on the point rope.Northeast and Liam Dawson attempted to rebuild for the hosts but despite running hard between the wickets they struggled to hit boundaries in their 68-run alliance.With seven overs to go, and only four fours between them, the required rate was up and 10 an over – with Dawson departing for 31 off 34 balls during that 14th over after slogging a sweep straight to cow corner.But thanks to some clever striking from Northeast, whose half century came in 46 balls with five fours, Hampshire ground themselves back into contention.Chris Morris and James Fuller, 17 off 12, both departed but Northeast and Lewis McManus collected 11 off the 18th over, 19 from the 19th over and managed to slice past the 11 needed off the final Mohammad Amir over before the last ball hijinx.