Hampshire Vs. Lancashire Friends Life T20 Quarter-Final.

Carberry stuns Lancashire in quarter-final thriller.

Michael Carberry made his maiden t20 century
to lead Hampshire to their fourth consecutive finals day.

Lancashire lost by a single run away at Hampshire, as Michael Carberry hit a match-winning 100 not out to guide last years champions to their fourth successive finals day.

Hampshire posted a belligerent score of 202-3 and Carberry, who took just 31 deliveries to reach his half century, was seeing the ball brilliantly right from the first ball he faced.

James Vince was even faster to reach 50, racing to this milestone from 25 balls, as Hampshire smashed an unbeaten 72 in the power play. Vince eventually fell with the score at 110, but by now a severe amount of damage had been done.

Jimmy Adams then added 25 before Steven Croft was rewarded with his wicket as he finished with 1-31. Sean Ervine was then caught brilliantly by Stephen Moore as Kabir Ali struck against his former side.

The focus continued to be on Carberry who hit 11 fours and 3 sixes who ended the innings in style, scampering through for the two he needed to reach an epic century, from 66 balls, much to the delight of the crowd.

Chasing a daunting total of 203, Lancashire will feel they have done themselves proud, but there will be a bitter taste having fallen short by such a finite margin.

Tom Smith (22) started the innings with two sixes over mid-wicket off Dimitri Mascarenhas, but on the back of a thumping century Carberry took the catch off Sohail Tanvir to dismiss Smith. 

Opening partner Stephen Moore was now joined by Karl Brown and the second-wicket accumulated 82 as the visitors edged towards an improbable victory.

Rather contentiously, Brown fell one-run shy of his fifty, as he was bowled by Danny Briggs and the left-arm spinner then dismissed former Hampshire player Simon Katich first ball, as Briggs finished with 2-36.

Fellow spinner Liam Dawson proved decisive, affording just 28 runs from his allocation, ending his spell with the wicket of Moore, who fell for 44.

At 133-4 the match appeared to be drifting away from the Lightning, but Steven Croft and Gareth Cross refused to give up, in what turned out to be a scintillating effort.

The pair thumped 3 fours and as many sixes against some incredible bowling, with Lancashire needing 31 from the last two overs. Cross (32) slogged the final ball of the penultimate over for six and the visitors gave themselves a fighting chance, requiring 4 runs off the final delivery.

But Cross could only dig-out another yorker for two down the ground, with Croft left unbeaten on 43.