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Big-hitting Hants sink Middlesex

Michael Carberry and Mitchell Stokes set up a big Hampshire victory in Twenty20 with a rapid opening stand of 122 at the Rose Bowl as Middlesex were crushed by 59 runs.

Carberry was out in the last of the 20 overs for a competition-best 90 while Stokes out-scored him in a quick-fire 62.

England Under-19 batsman Stokes struck five sixes and needed only 39 balls to make his 62 as Middlesex struggled to contain the rampant Hampshire batsmen.

Stokes, who has yet to make his County Championship debut for Hampshire, struck some magnificent blows, pulverising the bowling of Chris Silverwood, Chris Peploe and Chad Keegan.

Middlesex enjoyed one of only two successes when teenager Stokes was bowled by Peploe attempting another big hit but there was no respite for the Crusaders in front of a crowd of around 8,000.

Carberry was then joined by Australian Dominic Thornely in a stand of 90 for the second wicket in only eight overs.

Middlesex were already overwhelmed when Carberry was caught in the deep, after hitting seven fours and two sixes, off Scott Styris.

His 59-ball innings enabled Hampshire to reach their best score in the competition.

Thornely reached his half-century from 21 balls while Dimitri Mascarenhas hoisted the only two balls he faced over the boundary ropes.

In all, Hampshire hit 13 sixes on their way to an imposing 225 for two.

Middlesex never looked remotely capable of making the match a contest after losing Owais Shah in the third over and Nick Compton in the fourth although there was some resistance later from Ed Smith and Paul Weekes.

Smith made 34 and Weekes showed glimpses of Hampshire-style aggression in 49 off 28 balls in an innings which included two sixes.

At halfway Middlesex were only four runs adrift of Hampshire at a comparable stage but wickets were lost in the chase and with four overs remaining they were a hopeless 96 runs short of winning.

Thornely took three wickets, those of Smith, Eoin Morgan and Keegan as Middlesex attempted to accelerate without success.

Middlesex lurched to 166 for nine from their 20 overs as Hampshire clinched their first win in this year's competition by 59 runs.

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