Hampshire beat Warwickshire to make FP t20 semi-finals
FRIENDS PROVIDENT t20 QUARTER-FINAL, Edgbaston: Hampshire 154-5 (19.5 overs) beat Warwickshire 153-5 (20 overs) by five wickets Match scorecard
Vince struck five fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 66
James Vince guided Hampshire to a nervy five-wicket win over Warwickshire in their Friends Provident t20 quarter-final at Edgbaston.
Vince struck an unbeaten 66 from 52 deliveries to see the visitors to their target of 154 with only one ball left.
Earlier, an unbroken stand of 58 between Tim Ambrose (31 not out) and Rikki Clarke (27 not out) helped the Bears to post 153-5.
Hampshire now advance to finals day at their Rose Bowl home on 14 August.
After winning the toss in overcast conditions, Hampshire captain Dominic Cork invited the hosts to bat and reaped an immediate reward by bowling dangerous all-rounder Neil Carter in the first over.
The Bears rebuilt in the shape of a second-wicket stand of 49 between Darren Maddy (44) and Keith Barker (28), but when Barker was bowled to become the first of left-arm spinner Danny Briggs' three victims, the home side lost their way.
Maddy and Ian Westwood both holed out either side of Jim Troughton being run out by Cork's direct hit to leave the former England pair of Ambrose and Clarke to take Warwickshire to a competitive total.
Hampshire openers Jimmy Adams (18) and Abdul Razzaq (33) looked like making short work of their target until Adams sliced Carter to third man.
Razzaq continued to attack but when he was bowled by Steffan Piolet, England Under-19 batsman Vince was left to take centre stage.
Vince and Neil McKenzie had Hampshire ahead of the required rate but Warwickshire were given a glimmer of hope when McKenzie was castled by Piolet, who then held on to a stunning catch on the mid-wicket boundary to dismiss Sean Ervine.
Michael Carberry joined Vince for a stand of 22 that effectively ended the contest and, although Carberry was run out coming back for an ambitious second, Dan Christian settled any nerves by hitting his first ball for six to leave just five to be scrambled from the final over.
It is the first time Hampshire have qualified for finals day in domestic Twenty20 cricket, which has been running since 2003.
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