A superb all-round performance from Dimitri Mascarenhas was the pinnacle of a 46 run victory for Hampshire Hawks against the Gloucestershire Gladiators today, to start their Norwich Union Division II campaign off in style.

Both skipper Robin Smith and batsman John Crawley were absent with injuries, Smith with a badly bruised finger, and Crawley with a back strain that could jeopardise his England recall.

The Rose Bowl wicket favours the new ball more than most, with both openers being dismissed with only 8 runs on the scoreboard; it needed a steady influence from Derek Kenway (50) and Jason Laney making his first outing of the season, to bring the innings back on par. Kenway strode to a half century in 81 balls with 6 fours, whereas Laney's 38 in 73 balls did not contain a single boundary.

The introduction of Dimitri Mascarenhas with the bat with Hampshire 5 wickets down, joining wicket-keeper Nic Pothas upped the tempo considerably. Pothas hit 53* in quick time, and Mascarenhas smote two huge sixes off successive balls from Averis to race to his 38* off just 21 balls. The last six overs of the innings realising 62 runs.

A carbon copy start to the Gladiators innings, with two wickets going down to the seam of Mascarenhas, meant a rebuilding job. Mark Alleyne remained the quiet partner in a 77 run partnership with Craig Spearman, and whilst the New Zealander with a Welsh mother was in charge, the game was going the visitors way. His dismissal, when he played a leading edge off Prittipaul was the start of the Hawks recovery. Mascarenhas with a career best 5-27, followed by three wickets from Lawrence Prittipaul mopped up the final resistance.

© Hampshire Cricket