Toby Albert hit six sixes in six consecutive balls as Hampshire edged Sussex on Sunday at the County Ground, Hove. The 51-run victory helped Hampshire stay in the quarter-final race of the Metro Bank One Day Cup. They currently sit fourth in the Group B standings with 16 points and still have one league-stage match remaining.
Walking in at No. 3, Toby Albert put on a show with aggressive intent right from the word go and went on to score a blistering 86 off just 37 balls. During the course of his innings, he created a record by hitting six sixes in six consecutive balls, spread across two overs. He smashed Nantes Oosthuizen for back-to-back sixes off the fifth and sixth deliveries of the 43rd over before taking apart Ollie Kirtley with four consecutive sixes off the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth balls of the 44th over.
Albert’s dynamic batting powered Hampshire to a commanding total of 383 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs. Earlier, openers Ali Orr (105) and Ben Mayes (109) scored brilliant centuries and shared a mammoth 225-run partnership for the first wicket.
Toby Albert missed the majority of the Metro Bank One Day Cup after being rested following the conclusion of the T20 Blast. Since his return, he has scored 89, 46, and 86 in his last three innings.
Defending such a huge total was never going to be easy on a small ground, but Hampshire pulled things back in the latter stages to secure a comfortable victory. Eddie Jack was the pick of the bowlers, claiming four crucial wickets, while Oliver Williams (2), Tom Prest (2), and Kyle Abbott (1) also chipped in with wickets.
Hampshire have looked in good form, securing back-to-back victories in their last two matches. They must win their final league-stage encounter at home against Derbyshire on August 11 to keep their knockout hopes alive.