Ervine: We can still qualify

Ervine struck an unbeaten 50 from just 30 balls, including the only two sixes of the match, as the Hawks beat the Essex Eagles by seven wickets with 2.4 overs to spare of the last Twenty20 game of the season at the Rose Bowl.

The Hawks remain bottom of the South Group, but they still have a mathematical chance of reaching the last eight with two games remaining.

If they finish as two of the best three third-placed teams from the three regional groups, they will qualify.

That could yet happen as the Northamptonshire Steelbacks, the third-placed team in the Midlands Group, have as many points as the Hawks.

However, Hampshire know they will definitely be out if they lose their penultimate group game against Essex at Chelmsford on Thursday night.

Ervine said: "It's very important that we go on and make it harder for other teams to make the quarter finals by winning the last two.

"We can't look too far ahead, we just have to repeat what we did against Essex and go out and win the next game and see where we are."

The Hampshire Hawks complete their Twenty20 Cup South Group fixtures against the Sussex Sharks at Hove on Friday night.

Captain Nic Pothas said: "We're obviously struggling but we have to be winning by big margins to give ourselves the best possible chance.

"The worst-case scenario is that we don't qualify but if we win our last two Twenty20 Cup games and still don't go through at least we have some momentum to take into the next Championship match against Warwickshire on Sunday."

The Hawks had not won in six Twenty Cup games dating back nearly a year before Ervine helped chase down the 100 runs needed in a game reduced to 15 overs each because of the saturated Rose Bowl outfield yesterday.

The Zimbabwean added: "Until yesterday we've been too cautious chasing totals but we can learn a lot from this win.

"The conditions weren't great - the groundstaff did really well to get the game on considering how much rain we've had - but we did really well to keep them down to a total that was gettable.

"We were looking to win with at least two overs to spare to make sure we didn't get bogged down against the spinners and leave ourselves too short and fortunately we did that."

A crowd of more than 7,000 enjoyed a Hawks win that at least means the penultimate round of games on Thursday night will hold some interest.

Pothas added: "The outfield was drenched and we wouldn't have played under usual circumstances but there was a big crowd and we wanted to get a game on for them.

"Our groundsman Nigel Gray and his staff were out of this world and it was a phenomenal effort from them that got the 30 overs in.

"When it was chucking down on Saturday I thought there was no way we'd play as the pitch was waterlogged when the game against Middlesex was abandoned on Friday.

"But we had to be on the park to turn our form around because you don't get better by sitting in the changing room.

"There's no shortage of talent, we just haven't been executing it well, but we've practised really hard and it paid off."

While Ervine was named the man-of-the-match, the Hawks' first Twenty20 Cup win of the season will be remembered for an impressive debut from 21-year-old David Griffiths, who took 3-13 from his three overs.

Pothas had no doubt that the level-headed fast bowler had the temperament to bowl two overs at the end of the Essex innings.

He said: "It was a great debut from Griff, he's definitely got pace and is the kind of kid that everyone wants to see do well as he's had to come through some big injuries.

"I saw him on our pre-season tour in Cape Town so knew what he could do.

"And I was more than happy to give him the responsibility to bowl at the end of the Essex innings because I know how much abuse he gets in the changing room - he's very thick skinned!"