Lumb shines again for Hampshire
Michael Lumb continued his superb form in this season's Twenty20 Cup with 93 from 52 balls in the victory over Middlesex
Opener Michael Lumb struck a superb 93 as Hampshire inflicted a seventh successive Twenty20 Cup defeat on defending champions Middlesex at the Rose Bowl.
Lumb was in devastating form, smashing 11 fours and three sixes in a 52-ball innings which was the basis for a formidable total of 183 for six.
Middlesex made a promising start in their response through Billy Godleman (57) and Owais Shah (45) but eventually fell 28 runs short of their target.
Lumb had already scored a century earlier in the competition against Essex and was again in top form as Middlesex struggled to contain him.
He received intermittent support from Michael Carberry and skipper Dimitri Mascarenhas, who hit two sixes in 23, but the bulk of the scoring was done by the former Yorkshire batsman.
Lumb looked certain to become the first man to score two Twenty20 Cup centuries in one season, only to be stumped off a wide when charging down the wicket to Gareth Berg.
Chris Benham added a rapid unbeaten 22 as the runs continued to flow for Hampshire in the closing stages of their innings.
Middlesex lost Neil Dexter at 19 but looked favourites to win while Godleman and Shah were putting on 97 for the second wicket in 12 overs.
But from the moment Godleman was leg before to Imran Tahir with the score on 116, Middlesex's challenge began to fade.
Godleman was as dominant for Middlesex as Lumb had been for Hampshire, hitting six fours and a six off Tahir in his 57.
Shah kept the visitors’ hopes alive with a more patient 45 which included two sixes and a four but when he holed out to Lumb at long on, it was all over for Middlesex.
Chris Tremlett, fit again after injury, finished off their resistance by dismissing Eoin Morgan and Tyron Henderson to catches in the deep as Middlesex finished with 155 for five.
Tremlett finished with figures of 2-28 from his four overs, while Dominic Cork and Sean Ervine also kept a lid on the scoring rate as Hampshire eased to victory.
