With his best T20 statistics, Hampshire Hawks fast bowler John Turner eliminated Essex from the Vitality Blast.
Turner’s 4 for 23 destroyed the Eagles, who were losing finalists in 2023, who only needed a point at Utilita Bowl to pass Gloucestershire and go up to fourth place.
Ben McDermott’s outstanding 64 and James Vince’s and Tom Prest’s 41s helped the Hawks reach a respectable 181.
At 58 for 5, Essex appeared to be out of it, but in an 86-run stand, teenagers Charlie Allison and Luc Benkenstein achieved their first-ever T20 half-centuries.
Hawks ruined their hopes of qualifying for the quarterfinals with a seven-run victory over Turner’s return at the death, capping an otherwise dismal tournament.
After struggling for a while, Vince and McDermott gave the Hawks a great start in 2024, when they managed to put on the greatest first-wicket stand of 97 runs.
Australian McDermott, who had only amassed 173 runs in the Blast this season, came to life for a 39-ball fifty, his 10th in three seasons with Hampshire, with a combination of the ruthless and the imaginative.
When Benkenstein bowled Vince, he was nine runs from reaching the milestone ahead of McDermott, but Prest came in and hammered Paul Walter for eighteen runs in an over.
The Hawks were set to make 200, but Shane Snater threw a wrench in the works in the 16th over, taking two wickets, dismissing Benny Howell for 64 and McDermott for 64.
Walter put an end to Prest’s spectacular 21-ball knock two overs later, and Liam Dawson similarly pulled to deep fine leg.
Toby Albert and Joe Weatherley hammered 25 runs in the last two overs to push the hosts to a total that Essex would have been happy to chase.
But things never really got going, particularly after Adam Rossington skimmed the opening ball of the innings before Chris Wood detected Dean Elgar’s edge and took two wickets in the opening over of the reply.
Turner took over after Wood, who had started the innings with two wickets in an over.
Walter cut to short third, Michael Pepper skied a caught and bowled, and after two overs, Matt Critchley gave Turner figures of 3 for 6.
Essex needed a rescue act, and two 19-year-olds volunteered.
Allison took over after Benkenstein had earlier in the season nearly defeated Glamorgan by himself amid a collapse.
His 37-ball fifty was his best in T20s, with only 50 runs to his credit before. His whipped six and thumping over long on were the highlights.
As the duo reached 86, Benkenstein also achieved his first-ever format half-century, four balls faster than his counterpart.
However, Benkenstein promptly ended his amusement when he had to get 38 off of 18, and Turner then easily bowled Harmer for his fourth.
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Turner’s last over only managed six runs, meaning that Wood’s excellent defence of fifteen was required, even though Allison managed a heroic 69.
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