HAMPSHIRE slumped to a second successive Twenty20 defeat against a Southern Electric Premier League select XI at BAT's Southern Gardens last night.
The Hawks lost a thriller by ten runs after being bowled out for 142 in response to the SEPL's 152-6 - 24 hours after suffering a seven-wicket defeat against the same opponents.
But, this time, the SEPL were without the injured Jason Laney, who suffered a hand injury during his match-winning 55 at Bournemouth, as well as Rob Hodgson and Shawn Gillies.
Once again, two former Hampshire players did the damage with the bat. Portsmouth captain Lee Savident smashed 57 off 33 balls, including a slog-swept six off Shaun Udal.
And a 40-year-old Richard Scott, now director of cricket at Bournemouth and captain of the SEPL team, took the game beyond Hampshire with 35 runs off just 17 balls at number seven.
Left-hander Scott hit three sixes, including two in the final over of the innings from James Tomlinson, to ensure that the SEPL posted a winning total despite a solid start from Hampshire's reserve seamers.
James Bruce (1-17) and captain Shaun Udal (2-23), who lost the toss, were the pick of the Hampshire attack but BAT left-armer Dan Goldstraw has been the best bowler on show over the two games and unplayable on his home ground.
He had John Crawley (0) caught behind in his first over in a mesmerising opening spell that helped reduce Hampshire to 13-3.
Havant's Richard Pineo removed James Hamblin, who was caught behind for seven, and Will Kendall, who played on for one, in successive overs.
Derek Kenway and Lawrie Prittipaul added 37 in seven overs before Dimi Mascarenhas and Greg Lamb cranked up Hampshire's run rate with some clean hitting.
Lamb continued his impressive start to life in Hampshire's first team with a 12-ball 22 that included sixes over mid- wicket against OTs seamer Jeremy Ord and Havant's Richard Hindley.
The Zimbabwean was eventually caught at long off off Goldstraw, who also removed Udal in his final over.
Goldstraw finished with 3-9 from his four overs but he failed to dismiss Mascarenhas who, not for the first time, was the key for Hampshire.
Mascarenhas gradually ran out of partners but a six from Billy Taylor in the penultimate over from Pineo kept hopes alive.
The match was still in the balance when medium pacer Scott stepped up to bowl the last over. Hampshire needed 22 runs with James Tomlinson on strike and only Bruce to come.
Tomlinson's wicket was sacrificed immediately and then Mascarenhas, who had already hit Hindley for two successive sixes, produced two more maximum hits, one over mid-wicket and the other back over Scott's head, in the space of three balls.
But ten runs were still needed from the final two deliveries. Mascarenhas missed the first and could only nick the last ball of an enthralling contest.
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