June 6, 2025 ko Utilita Bowl mein khela gaya match Gloucestershire ke liye ek aur niraashajanak din tha, jab unki team sirf 119 run bana kar out ho gayi. Yeh unki teesri haar thi, aur isse saaf hai ki 2022 ke champions abhi tak apne form mein wapas nahi aaye hain. Hampshire ke fast bowler John Turner aur opener Toby Albert ne is match mein apni chamak dikhai, aur team ko teesri jeet dilayi, lekin Gloucestershire ke liye sawal yeh hai ki kya woh apne purane rang mein wapas aa payenge?
Match ka shuruaat Gloucestershire ke liye bilkul bhi accha nahi raha. Unhone toss jeet kar pehle batting chuni, lekin Utilita Bowl ki pitch unke liye ek paheli bani rahi. Powerplay mein sirf 37 run bane, aur John Turner ne apni tezi se Miles Hammond aur Cam Bancroft ko out kar diya. Bancroft ka wicket toh khaas tha, jab James Fuller ne short fine leg par ek shandaar catch pakda. Turner ne apne spell mein 3 wickets liye (3 for 28), jabki Chris Wood, Scott Currie, aur Benny Howell ne bhi do-do wickets apne naam kiye. Gloucestershire ke batsmen ke liye ball ko bat ke beech se marna mushkil raha, aur team ke 10 wickets catches ke roop mein gir gaye, jismein Howell ke chaar catches shamil the – yeh Hampshire ke liye Blast mein ek joint record hai. Yeh performance yaad dilata hai 2023 ke us match ka jab Turner ne apne T20 debut par Middlesex ke khilaaf 3 for 30 liye the, aur us season mein 21 wickets ke saath apni pehchaan banayi thi.
Hampshire ke liye chase karna koi badi baat nahi thi. 119 run ke chhote se target ke saath, Toby Albert ne apna T20 career ka best score banaya – 73 not out. Unhone do chhakkon ke saath apni innings ko sajaya, aur team ko 30 ball baaki rehne par jeet tak le gaye. Albert ka yeh performance unke 2022 ke ek match ki yaad dilata hai, jab unhone Derby mein 84 not out banakar Hampshire ko jeet dilayi thi, aur John Turner ne bhi us din winning runs maare the. Albert ke saath James Vince ne bhi thodi der saath diya, lekin unka wicket Jack Taylor ne liya. Tom Prest ek mauka chhodne ke bawajood zyada run nahi bana sake. Albert ka yeh shandaar form 2024 ke County Championship ke us match ki yaad dilata hai, jab unhone Surrey ke khilaaf apna pehla first-class century banaya tha (114 run), aur team ko 368 run ki badi lead dilayi thi.
Hampshire ka yeh shuruaat unke liye ek bada boost hai. Team ne 2017 ke baad pehli baar apne starting teen matches jeete hain, aur yeh unke 2022 Vitality Blast title jeetne ke baad ek nayi ummeed jaga raha hai. James Vince, jo 2022 mein tournament ke top run-scorer aur MVP rahe, ab bhi team ke lynchpin hain, aur unki leadership mein team ek balanced unit dikhai de rahi hai. Is season mein South African players Dewald Brevis aur Lhuan-dre Pretorius ke aane se team aur mazboot hui hai. Brevis, jo SA20 mein leading run-scorer rahe, aur Pretorius, jo U19 World Cup mein chhaye rahe, dono hi Hampshire ke liye nayi jaan la rahe hain. Ek X post mein bhi fans ne Brevis (68 off 32) aur Vince (62 off 31) ke saath Albert (54 off 34) ki taareef ki, jab unhone Essex ke khilaaf 106 run se jeet haasil ki thi.
Lekin Gloucestershire ke liye yeh match ek aur jhatka tha. Unka winless streak abhi bhi jaari hai, aur Utilita Bowl mein unhone ab tak ek bhi T20 match nahi jeeta hai. Yeh yaad dilata hai 2010 ke us match ka jab Hampshire ne apna pehla Blast title jeeta tha, aur Gloucestershire jaise teams ke khilaaf apni domination dikhayi thi. Defending champions ke liye abhi season lamba hai, lekin unhe jaldi hi apne game ko sudhaarna hoga, warna yeh 2025 campaign ek bhoolne wala chapter ban jayega. Hampshire ke liye toh sab kuch sahi ja raha hai, lekin Gloucestershire ke fans ke liye yeh sochne ka waqt hai ki kya unki team wapas apne purane dum par laute gi, ya yeh niraasha aur lambi chalne wali hai?
