MOMENTS after one of the closest matches in Ashes history, one of Hampshire's most comprehensive Twenty20 wins began.

It was thanks largely to the efforts of Michael Carberry and James Vince, England batsmen of the past and the future, that they beat Middlesex so comfortably, thrilling the large Hampshire contingent in a sun-drenched crowd with their clean hitting.

The Royals returned to the top of Friends Life t20’s South Group, with at least one game in hand on all their rivals, beating Middlesex by seven wickets with 29 balls to spare.

Old Deer Park, Richmond is a happy hunting ground for Hampshire. This was their fourth t20 win in as many games against Middlesex there.

Having chased down 175 on their first visit in 2005, Hampshire were always confident after restricting their hosts to 162-5, even without the injured Neil McKenzie, who had guided the Royals to victory in their first three matches.

The Royals hope McKenzie recovers from a thigh strain in time for Friday’s t20 match against Surrey at The Oval (he is definitely out of the Championship match against Kent that starts tomorrow), but reminding themselves that they can win well without him was no bad thing.

Hampshire did what they should have done against Sussex on Friday night, when they were fortunate to win off the final ball, chasing only 118.

This time they were ruthless.

James Vince, whose 49-ball 84 (12 fours, two sixes) was a run shy of his career-best, and Michael Carberry (43 from 16 balls) did most of the damage during Hampshire’s six-over powerplay, at the end of which the Royals were 83-0.

But it had not been completely straightforward for Hampshire in the field.

Such is the excellence expected of the two-time champions, you could understand Dimi Mascarenhas’s frustration during his second four-over spell of 2-19 in less than 48 hours.

The metronomic medium-pacer turned the air as blue as the sky when Dawid Malan’s leading edge dropped short of Chris Wood at mid-off after Liam Dawson had dived over the top of an off-driven four from the left-hander.

Malan hit ten boundaries in all, including a six against a Danny Briggs full toss en route to a 66-ball 77 that has strengthened his place at the top of the South Group run charts.

Even Carberry let a four go through him on an outfield that, while respectable for a club ground, bore no comparison with the Ageas Bowl’s billiard table-like greensward.

There was a case for keeping James Vince on after he had conceded just five (including two wides from his first two deliveries) from the first two overs of his t20 career, while claiming the big wicket of Adam Voges.

But it is Vince’s batting that people pay to watch and he did not disappoint.

Carberry’s outstanding start to this competition continued as he shared 89 with his opening partner from the first 40 balls of Hampshire’s reply.

The pair scorched the parched outfield with their strokeplay (these were proper cricket shots).

Kyle Mills conceded more runs in the third over (24) than he did from four overs when the Auckland Aces knocked Hampshire out of the Champions League in October, Carberry hitting the Kiwi for four of his five fours and one of his three sixes, high over long-off.

It was hard to take much for granted after the collapse against Sussex. But Hampshire were in a virtually unassailable position after the pair took 19 apiece from the last two overs of the powerplay, Carberry pulling and driving Neil Dexter’s medium pace for sixes before departing.

Unlike the much-maligned Stuart Broad, Carberry walked when Vince’s deflected drive against Middlesex’s promising young slow left-armer, Ravi Patel, skidded on to the stumps in the seventh over.

But Jimmy Adams helped Vince continue the assault with a relatively sedate 29 (24 balls), including a driven six into the radio marquee at long on.

Vince drove Patel for six over wide long-off and pulled Sandhu for his second maximum before losing concentration with his career-best 85 - made against Sussex two years ago - in his sights.

Adams was caught behind two balls after Vince had chipped to mid-off, but by then the damage was done, with only three needed from five overs. It is hard to recall many more comfortable Hampshire t20 wins.