HAMPSHIRE made their highest T20 score for two years as they won their first match in the format at the home of cricket.

Michael Carberry (72*) and Owais Shah (64) shared a stand of 118 from just 61 balls before Sean Ervine blitzed 20 from only seven deliveries as Hampshire amassed 199-5.

Then Will Smith (2-19), Yasir Arafat (2-29) and Danny Briggs (2-28) starred as Hampshire restricted Middlesex to 178-9, to win by 21 runs and go top of the South Group ahead of tomorrow night’s derby against Sussex at The Ageas Bowl (7pm).

Having won the toss, James Vince (14) hit rookie seamer Harry Podmore for three fours in four balls. But on the day he was called up for England’s T20 game against New Zealand, Hampshire’s captain was bowled by Kyle Abbott’s first ball against his former county.

Jimmy Adams (eight) also departed during the powerplay, lbw trying to reverse sweep Ollie Rayner’s off-spin.

But Carberry was at his best, while facing just 44 of Hampshire’s 120 balls - a T20 record by anyone batting throughout a T20 innings - in front of an 18,000 crowd.

The first of his two sixes was driven over long-on against Rayner in the fifth over as Hampshire reached 44-2 at the end of the powerplay.

Successive fours against left-arm seamer James Franklin, pulled and cut, and back-to-back boundaries against Paul Stirling’s off-spin – over extra cover and driven through point – maintained the momentum.

Shah was also outstanding against his former county. He pipped Carberry to fifty, hitting 14 in three balls against Rayner, including six over mid-wicket. He was caught off a free hit but reached a 38-ball fifty, his second of the season against Middlesex, with the second of his two sixes – a low full toss from Harris lifted over square leg.

After two more sumptuous fours through the covers Shah stood on his stumps as he hit an Abbott full toss into the grandstand.

But Sean Ervine – relishing his return to the ground where he scored a match-winning hundred in the 2005 C& G Trophy final – ensured there was no let-up.

Continuing where he left off against Kent at Canterbury on Friday night, the left-hander hit his first three balls for four, starting with an upper cut, against Abbott.

James Harris was clattered for two sixes in the 18th over. Carberry lifted the first over mid-wicket and against the middle tier of grandstand before Ervine drilled the over’s penultimate ball back down the ground.

Ervine was caught at mid-on next ball, but Hampshire still took 25 from the last two overs.

Wheater reversed his first ball from Podmore for four. And when he was caught at extra cover, Smith (1*) watched as Carberry hit his pal Abbott (4-0-50-2) for 17 off the final over, including another venomous cut, to ensure a target of 200.

The noose was tightened when Smith caught and bowled Nick Compton with the third ball of Middlesex’s reply and Bird trapped Nick Gubbins with his second delivery.

Paul Stirling responded with 54 from just 27 balls, including a third-wicket stand of 88 from just 7.5 overs with John Simpson. The Irishman hit a six against Wood over mid-wicket and nine fours but was out to a steepling return catch from Yasir Arafat soon after Simpson holed out to deep mid-on.

Like Simpson, Middlesex captain Franklin hit a 24-ball 35, but Briggs dismissed Andy Balbirnie and Neil Dexter in successive overs.

Abbott pulled Bird (3-0-41-2), his overseas replacement at Hampshire, for six into the Tavern Stand but was left with too much to do.