FRIENDS PROVIDENT TROPHY FINAL, Lord's:
Sussex v Hampshire
Date: Saturday, 25 July 2009 Start of play: 1045 BST
Coverage: Live ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC R4 LW, BBC Sussex, BBC Radio Solent and BBC Sport website; live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles; scorecard on Ceefax & digital text

Mascarenhas is confident Hampshire can perform well at Lord's

Hampshire captain Dimitri Mascarenhas says his side are underdogs for Saturday's Friends Provident Trophy final against Sussex at Lord's.

The sides have already met five times this season, with Sussex winning the latest clash in the Pro40 by four runs.

Mascarenhas told BBC Radio Solent: "They've got some dangerous players. It's going to be tough and I think they're favourites.

"They are a very strong side and we won't be taking them lightly."

Mascarenhas added: "We've played against Sussex a lot over the last few years and they've kept pretty much the same side.

"They've got a few different players like Ed Joyce, who we've seen a lot of at Middlesex, and Dwayne Smith, who is probably one we haven't seen a lot of.

"He's so dangerous and can hit the ball so far. They've got some dangerous players and I'm sure they will have Matt Prior back as well, and he's in some serious form."

The clash with their south coast rivals is Hampshire's third Lord's final in recent years, having beaten Warwickshire to lift the 2005 C&G Trophy, before losing to Durham in the same competition - now the FP Trophy following a change of sponsor - in 2007.

Mascarenhas believes the Hampshire class of 2009 compares favourably with those sides and thinks they have the ability to not only give a good account of themselves but also win the game.

"I think we're just as strong, if not stronger this year," said Mascarenhas.

"We've got a lot of the same players and a few who have come in and performed exceptionally well.

"Jimmy Adams has been in and out of the one-day side for years, but this year he's stamped his mark on our team.

"Hopefully he can go out there on a good flat wicket at Lord's and get a big score for us.

"Michael Lumb has been brilliant and Michael Carberry has been exceptional in all forms of cricket this year. He's coming on leaps and bounds.

"We have a top order that can be dangerous and then Sean Ervine has got two one-day hundreds at Lord's - one in the final in 2005 and another time against Middlesex, so he's no stranger to Lord's.

606: DEBATE How do you think Saturday's final will go?

"Hopefully these guys can step up and put some big runs on the board."

Mascarenhas is unlikely to be unnerved by the big occasion, having missed the start of the English season to play in the Indian Premier League before featuring for England in the ICC World Twenty20.

But despite all that experience, he will not accept that Saturday is just another game.

"Playing in a Lord's final is unbelievable," he added. "Any time you can play at Lord's in a final is awesome.

"There's going to be a full house with support from both teams and it's up to one of our blokes, or a couple of them, to step up on the big stage and show the country what they can do.

"When people say 'it's just like any other game', it's definitely not. I don't believe that for one second and I wouldn't say that because it's a final.

"There's going to be 30,000 people there screaming, it's just totally different and I can't wait."

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