Vince and Dawson too much for Sussex

Hampshire 343 for 6 (Vince 103, Dawson 73*) beat Sussex 256 (Machan 93, Wright 58, Dawson 6-47) by 87 runs
Scorecard

James Vince rejuvenated his England one-day chances with a first century of the summer as Hampshire opened their Royal London Cup campaign with an 87-run victory over Sussex at the Ageas Bowl.

Vince, who made his international bow in the washed-out match with Ireland in May, laid the foundations with an 89-ball knock of 103, which included 12 fours.

Liam Dawson then starred with the bat and ball - scoring an unbeaten 73 and returning figures of 6 for 47 - to help Hampshire keep Sussex in check as the home side successfully defended an Ageas Bowl high 343.

After Vince had won the toss and elected to bat first, Michael Carberry endured a second golden duck in under a week as he edged Ollie Robinson behind.

Hampshire rebuilt well after the early set-back as Jimmy Adams gained some much-needed confidence with a six to the short leg-side boundary, before moving past 3,000 career List A runs.

Just as Adams looked set to notch a season-reviving score he flicked Tymal Mills off his legs to George Bailey at square leg, who held on well as the opener departed for a run-a-ball 34 - after a 56-run stand with Adam Wheater.

Wheater was unfortunate to pick out Ed Joyce at short extra cover off Chris Liddle after a fulsome 45 before Joe Gatting was farcically run out by Bailey.

At the other end Vince was moving smoothly through his repertoire of shots and reached his fifty in 41 balls. He continued with his sensible yet classy batting and scored his first three-figure score of the season in 79 balls, his fourth format century.

But he only added three more to his hundred before spinner Chris Nash bowled him, before Gareth Berg picked out Matt Machan on the mid-wicket rope - as Hampshire decelerated to 265 for 6.

But a productive seven-over stand between Dawson and Chris Wood resulted in 78 runs being smashed. Dawson in particular impressed with his patient 56-ball fifty before he opened up with two sixes to finish with a flurry.

Wood ended on 38 not out as Hampshire scored their highest Ageas Bowl List A score of 343 for 6.

Sussex's innings started poorly as Nash was leg before to Yasir Arafat - the batsman incredulous after attempting to flick over square leg.

Machan and Luke Wright added 110 for the second wicket - with the latter taking a particular liking to Danny Briggs, smashing three sixes in one over against his former England one day team-mate. Wright reached a deserved half century in 39 balls before his partner-in-crime Machan followed him to the milestone in a more sedate 67 deliveries.

Just as the pair had looked to have taken the game away from Hampshire, Wright flashed a Dawson full toss straight to Mason Crane on the long on boundary for 58.

Former Hampshire batsman Bailey edged Wood behind as fast bowling returned in the 27th over before Scotland international Machan holed out to Gatting in the deep for 93 to give Crane his first List A wicket.

Legspinner Crane added a second as Craig Cachopa skied to Dawson at cover as the visitors stalled in the middle overs. Luke Wells slogged Dawson for a six but found Gatting with the next delivery before Robinson was bowled and Sussex debutant Alfonso Thomas was lbw.

And Dawson completed his first format five-for as he had Joyce lbw before he completed the rout as Mills offered a simple chance to Gatting as Sussex were dismissed for 256.