Dawson's 52 guides Hampshire past Sussex in 2026 T20 Blast

Hampshire secured a fourth straight victory in the T20 Blast after Liam Dawson scored 52 and took 3-20 to bowl out Sussex for 144.

Hampshire's strong start Hampshire Hawks batted first and posted 173-6 in their 20 overs, with Liam Dawson contributing a crucial 52. England white-ball all-rounder Dawson followed his earlier 76 against Surrey with another vital fifty to bolster Hampshire’s total. Opener Tristan Stubbs added 36 as the pair combined to lift Hampshire after a shaky start. Chris Wood and James Fuller picked up two wickets each from the Sussex attack. ## Sussex's top-order dominance Sussex Sharks began both innings strongly, with captain Tymal Mills calling correctly and setting perfect field placements. Hampshire’s danger man James Vince was removed in the second over by Mills, who conceded just 13 runs in his two powerplay spells. James Coles bowled tightly, restricting Hampshire to seven runs while claiming Toby Albert with a yorker. Tom Price and Danny Briggs then combined to dismiss Tom Prest and Joe Weatherley, leaving Hampshire at 42-4 after seven overs. ## Dawson's middle-order magic With Hampshire struggling, Dawson was promoted to number five and immediately struck a boundary off his first delivery. He and Tristan Stubbs then shared a 66-run partnership to steady the innings, with Dawson reaching his second successive T20 half-century. The duo’s aggressive approach saw Hampshire claw back into contention before both departed in the 17th over. Fuller and Hilton Cartwright then added 37 runs in the final three overs to push Hampshire’s total to 173. ## Sussex's early powerplay surge Sussex responded positively to Hampshire’s total, with Dan Hughes hitting James Fuller for 17 runs in one over. Harrison Ward then matched that pace by smashing Scott Currie for 17 in two overs, helping Sussex race to 67 in the powerplay. A wicket in the last ball of the powerplay, Ward adjudged lbw to Fuller, began to shift momentum back toward Hampshire. Fuller, who had earlier been hit for 37 in 11 balls, returned figures of 2-3 in his next seven deliveries. ## Hampshire tighten the noose Sussex’s middle-order unraveled quickly as Jack Leaning was stumped off Dawson’s bowling, followed by John Simpson caught and bowled by Currie. The pressure mounted further when Hughes and Coles fell in successive balls, caught by Manny Lumsden and Dawson respectively. Hampshire’s control tightened as Chris Wood had Tom Alsop caught behind, while Mills was bowled by Dawson to record his third wicket of the innings. ## Hampshire seal the win Manny Lumsden completed the collapse by bowling Henry Crocombe to end Sussex’s innings at 144, giving Hampshire a 29-run victory. Dawson’s match figures of 3-20 and 52 with the bat made him the standout performer in the contest. The win extended Hampshire’s unbeaten run to four matches in the South Group, while Sussex dropped to the bottom with three consecutive losses. The victory moved Hampshire four points clear at the top of the standings.