Dawson stars in Hampshire romp

Michael Carberry powered a fine half century to propel Hampshire © Getty Images

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Hampshire teenager Liam Dawson produced a man-of-the-match display with bat and ball to lead his side to their first NatWest Pro40 victory of the season, a crushing 66-run win over south coast rivals Sussex.

The 18-year-old all-rounder hit a career-best 43 before claiming two wickets and two fine catches in the field to send Sussex to their first defeat of the campaign.

Michael Carberry (53) and Dmitri Mascarenhas (48) earlier helped Hampshire post an imposing 189 for eight in a rain reduced 31-over match.

Pakistani leg spinner Imran Tahir then took 5-27 to rattle through the Sussex middle order to record a memorable win.

Sussex won the toss and elected to field on a Rose Bowl wicket that looked unpredictable due to the intermittent rain that had swept across the south coast during the afternoon.

After two delayed starts which reduced the overs to 31 a side, Hampshire began in unconvincing fashion with openers Michael Lumb (one) and Jimmy Adams (18) falling early on.

Carberry, with a combination of some fine pinch hitting and superb boundary strokes, took the score towards the 100 mark with 53 from 57 balls but succumbed to pressure exerted by young Sussex spinner Ollie Rayner who caught and bowled the England Lions batsman.

With Chris Benham (12) failing to make any real impression it was left for Mascarenhas and England Under-19 international Dawson to take the game to Sussex with a superb fifth-wicket stand of 81.

Dawson surpassed his previous one-day best of 32 but unfortunately fell seven runs short of his half century as he was caught in the deep by Rory Hamilton-Brown off the bowling of Chris Liddle.

England international Mascarenhas then fell soon after with some sluggish running in between the wickets and despite Sussex bowler James Kirtley removing Greg Lamb (nought) and David Balcombe (nought) with successive deliveries the damage had already been done and 190 looked a tall order.

Skipper Chris Adams was one of five victims for Imran Tahir as his Sussex side folded © Getty Images

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Things did not begin well for the away side as Ben Brown fell on the second ball as he misread a pitched up delivery from Balcombe allowing Lumb to take a fine catch at second slip.

Fellow opener Chris Nash (eight) attempted to accelerate the dwindling run rate by taking on the economical Mascarenhas but his lofted cover drive was well caught by Dawson as he ran backwards with the ball dropping over his left shoulder.

Sussex skipper Chris Adams (21) and West Indian star Dwayne Smith (25) instilled some stability into the Sussex order with a partnership of 41 but they soon fell as Tahir began his devastating spell.

With Sussex needing almost 12 an over Hampshire's overseas leg spinner claimed Zimbabwean batsman Murray Goodwin with his first delivery before trapping Adams lbw.

Hamilton-Brown, one of the few positives to emerge for Sussex, scored a quick-fire 26 but he was stumped by Nic Pothas somewhat predictably off the bowling of fellow teenager Dawson.

Tahir then removed Martin-Jenkins, Liddle and Kirtley with minimal fuss to keep Hampshire's Pro40 hopes alive.