NOT for the first time, Hampshire served up a Friends Life t20 thriller in front of a bumper Ageas Bowl crowd last night.

But, boy, they made hard work of what should have been a routine win against a Sussex side whose interest in the competition is now over.

The Royals have shown their ability to win tight contests on many occasions during the last three years of relentless t20 success (they have 27 wins from their last 32 domestic matches following this four-wicket win).

But no-one expected another last-over finish after Dimi Mascarenhas (2-19), Danny Briggs (1-17) and Sohail Tanvir’s best t20 performance for Hampshire (2-24) restricted Sussex to 118-7.

With the Royals 80-1 in the 12th over, needing just 39 from 51 balls with Michael Carberry (41) and Jimmy Adams (17) well set, a last-ball nail-biter was almost inconceivable.

But somehow Hampshire managed to take this derby to the bitter end.

Having held on to a spectacular left-handed catch at mid-wicket, Adams was enjoying a balmy summer’s evening, reverse sweeping successive Will Beer deliveries for four and off-driving another in the leg-spinner’s next over.

But then Hampshire’s innings began to unravel as they lost five wickets for 32 runs in 44 balls - with Adams and Carberry departing in successive overs. 

Sussex captain Chris Nash (2-12)kept his side in the game with bat and ball, following his run-a-ball 41 by squeezing Hampshire with his off-spin.

Adams was stumped giving his former Loughborough UCCE teammate the charge and Carberry, with a third successive t20 fifty in his sights, holed out attempting to clear the cover boundary against Chris Liddle.

Liddle struck again when Chris Jordan raced several yards to hold on to Sean Ervine’s skier at fine-leg.

With eight needed from as many balls, Liam Dawson slipped on to his stumps and the  equation was seven from seven when Adam Wheater gifted Yardy a return catch second ball.

Thankfully, Hampshire bat deep. Six down needing six from the final over, the experience of Mascarenhas and Neil McKenzie held sway against the know-how of Scot Styris – just.

After guiding two to backward point, Mascarenhas levelled the scores with a single to deep cover before Styris ended an otherwise impressive only over with a full toss, an attempted yorker that McKenzie swatted to the boundary.

“It was a little close for comfort,” admitted Mascarenhas. “There was nothing wrong with the wicket, 150 was par on that and we bowled exceptionally to keep them down to 118. We should have knocked them off in 16/17 overs.

“Carbs and Jimmy didn’t need to do anything silly, but unfortunately it got a little too close. We’re going to have to play a lot better if we’re going to contend in the final.

“It could easily have gone the other way and that would have been a horror loss.”

Hampshire have a big game at Richmond tomorrow afternoon against a Middlesex side that thrashed Essex last night.

“We never know what sort of wicket we’ll get at Richmond, we’ll have to front up and treat it like a final, which we didn’t do tonight,” added Mascarenhas.