Hampshire host Essex at the Rose Bowl in the first quarter-final of the T20 Blast 2026. Both sides arrive on the back of wins, and the match looks finely balanced.
Hampshire beat Sussex by four wickets in their last outing, reaching a target of 187 with one ball left. Hilton Cartwright hit 70 from 31 balls and Ben Mayes made 55 from 36 after a shaky start. Sonny Baker and Scott Currie took two wickets each with the ball. Joe Weatherley has scored 382 runs in his last 12 matches, and Currie has 21 wickets this season.
Essex beat Surrey by seven wickets, bowling them out for 123 and getting home in 16.5 overs. Michael Pepper scored 71 from 56 balls and Paul Walter added 21 from 17. Matt Critchley took 3 for 16, with Shane Snater and Charlie Bennett claiming two each. Walter has 372 runs at 37.20 this season, while Snater has 16 wickets in 12 games.
Home familiarity and recent batting momentum push our preview towards Hampshire, though Essex have the bowling depth to make it close. We expect Essex to win the toss.
