West Indies v Hampshire

In nicely overcast conditions, and with the pitch expected to give the faster bowlers some help, as it always does at Southampton, the West Indies did the correct thing first. They won the toss. Immediately, the West Indies elected to field first and Hampshire's openers, Giles White and John Stephenson, found the going tough.

Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, playing their first game outside of a Test match for the tour so far, started proceedings and produced some difficult deliveries, with steep bounce and movement away from the right-handed opening batsmen.

The first three overs, two from Ambrose and one from Walsh, produced maidens. It was not until the 4th over that a run was scored, but not from the bat. Walsh bowled a wide. Ambrose's 3rd over was also a maiden, but Walsh gave away 11 runs in his 3rd, including 5 extras, no-balls and wides. Ambrose's 1st spell read 4-3-5-0.

In over 10, Walsh struck. He deceived White with a very quick leg-cutter, the resulting edge easily taken by wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs. White out for 06, Hampshire 18-1. Soon after, Walsh was rested with figures of 6-1-17-1. After 15 overs, Hampshire were 36-1.

No. 3 batsman Dimitri Mascarenhas, a wonderful stroke-maker, and Stevenson then started accelerating against recovered fast bowler Corey Collymore and part-time medium pacer Wavell Hinds. In the 16th over, bowled by Hinds, Mascarenhas hit three fours and a massive six over mid-wicket. Stephenson followed suit with a four through mid-off from Collymore.

Mohendra Nagamootoo came on, as expected, to replace the hapless Hinds, but Mascarenhas and White still continued scoring well, the score 65-1 after 20 overs.

In over 21, Stephenson pushed a ball just wide of Ambrose at mid-on. Ambrose ran around well, fielded and returned to Ridley Jacobs. In the meantime, Stephenson had scooted to the non-striker's end, but Mascarenhas did not move. Stephenson run out for 14, Hampshire 65-2 in over 21.

Mascarenhas was joined by Robin Smith, well known to the West Indies as one of England's better batters, and at 25 overs, mid-innings, the score was 86-2, with Mascarenhas on 47 and Smith on 04.

In the 28the over, Mascarenhas clouted Nagamootoo through long-on, and the resulting misfield from Walsh brought up Mascarenhas' 50, which came from 65 ball, and including eight 4's and a six. By over 29, he was gone, caught by wicket-keeper Jacobs for 52, Hampshire 92-3.

Smith was joined by William Kendall and at over 31, Hampshire were 100-3. They continued taking singles and two's and at over No. 35, Hampshire are 124-3. At the end of his full ten over stint on the trot, Nagamootoo had 1-0-41-0.

Then Hampshire fell apart somewhat. In over 37, Walsh, having just been brought back, induced and edge from Kendall's bat, the catch taken by Jimmy Adams at slip. Kendall out for 18, Hampshire 134-4.

In over 39, Smith was out in exactly the same way as Kendal in Walsh's previous over, caught by Adams at slip. Smith made 30, Hampshire 143-5.

At 40 overs, Hampshire were 146-5, but in over No. 42, Adams bowled Jason Laney as he tried to pull a delivery which was too close, Laney out for 10, Hampshire 149-6. The 150 came up in over No. 42.

Shane Warne and Shaun Udal tried to retrieve the situation but failed, Udal falling in over 44 to Adams, caught at short backward square leg for 01, Hampshire 159-7.

Warne opened his shoulders, though, hitting Collymore for a four back over his head. Collymore got his own back immediately, as Warne tried the same shot again, only to be caught off a skier by Gayle at cover. Warne out for 13, Hamshire 165-8 in over No. 45.

That became 173-9 in 47 overs as Alan Mullally, trying to pull at Collymore's short delivery, edged it to short fine leg where Ridley Jacobs took a good running catch; Mullally out for 04.

Corey Collymore finished his spell with figures of 10-0-41-2.

Simon Francis and Adrian Aymes, the last pair, took the score to 189 before Francis was bowled for 07 by Ambrose. Hampshire were all out for 189 in the 50th over. Courtney Walsh had figures of 10-3-36-3, while Curtly Ambrose was incredible with 9.1-6-11-2. Jimmy Adams had 8-0-34-2.

Hampshire lost their last seven wickets for only 55 runs and the West Indies must now score 190 to win, a required run rate of 3.8.

West Indies Innings

Surprisingly, Adrian Griffith and Sherwin Campbell opened the innings for the West Indies but they did not last long as a pair. In the fourth over, bowled by the irresistible Dimitri Mascarenhas, Sherwin Campbell was completely beaten and bowled by a wonderful off-cutter, the batsman going for 07, the West Indies 9-1.

After 10 overs, the West Indies were 38-1.

Wavell Hinds came to join Adrian Griffith and they took the innings to over No. 19, the score to 60-1. Griffith has shown some aggression, hitting Mascarenhas for six over wide mid-on, while Hinds has been even more aggressive, hitting five 4's in his 28 so far.

After 15 overs, the West Indies were 43-1, as Hampshire tightened up somewhat, but the West Indies' 50 came up in the 16th over, just about up with the required run rate.

Shane Warne was introduced after 20 overs, by which time the West Indies had scored 68-1 and really going guns. Hampshire needed some immediate wickets then if they are going to be back into the game. Warne immediately obliged. With his 6th delivery of the game, Warne induced Griffith to sweep completely across the line of a top-spinner. Griffith missed, out LBW for 26, West Indies 71-2 in 21 overs.

Warne had a hand in the next West Indian dismissal too, when he, stationed at backward point, caught the aggressive Wavell Hinds, from off-spinner Shaun Udal's bowling in over No 26. Hinds out for 36, including five 4's, the West Indies 82-3.

Shaun Udal bowled well too; 10-2-34-1

The West Indies hundred came up in the 30th over, which, at the time, compared nicely with Hampshire's 100, which was scored in 31 overs. It could have been worse, as Adams, when 13, was badly dropped by wicket-keeper Adrian Aymes from Warne's bowling.

With 10 overs to go the West Indies needed 48 runs with seven wickets in hand, and shaping to win well. Then Adams was out, caught by Udal at backward point from the bowling of Dimitri Mascarenhas for 32 including four boundaries as Adams speared at a bouncing delivery; West Indies 149-4 in the 42nd. Adams and Hinds had put on 67 for that 4th wicket.

Ramnaresh Sarwan came to join Gayle and the two saw the score past the 150 mark. With five overs remaining, 28 runs were required, and Shane Warne was again excellent, 10-0-27-1.

When 21 was required from 18 balls, Sarwan hit two consecutive fours and then was bowled by the next in Marcarenhas's last over. Sarwan out bowled for 16, West Indies 177-5. They now needed 13 runs from 15 deliveries.

Mascarenhas ended with 10-1-49-3, excellent figures to go with his 52.

With 2 overs, 12 deliveries to go, the West Indies needed 12 runs. Then it was a wide, minus one; 11 from 12. Then Chris Gayle was caught by Mascarenhas at deep cover for a well made 47, including three 4's, top score, off the bowling of Alan Mullally, West Indies 180-6, still needing 10 from the last 10 deliveries.

New batsman Mahendra Nagamootoo got two from his first delivery, then a single, then a single and another single from Ridley Jacobs. So, in the last over, the West Indies needed 5 runs from six balls.

The last over, bowled by fast bowler Simon Francis, produced a single from the first ball, then the West Indies needed 4 from the last five balls. Jacobs obliged, hitting a short ball from Francis to the square leg boundary for four, the West Indies winning by four wickets with four balls to spare, 190-6.