HAMPSHIRE youngster Scott Currie described as “not ideal” his side’s dismal T20 Blast form at present but insisted: “It's not through a lack of trying.”

The Hawks suffered their latest setback in the shortest form of the domestic game at the Ageas Bowl on Wednesday where they were beaten by 20 runs against Surrey.

Defeat left them bottom of the South Group with just one victory from six completed games – three contests have not ended in a result.

Currie, who picked up figures of 3-21 against Surrey said: “It's tough, we are well aware of the situation we find ourselves in. It's not ideal but it's not through a lack of trying.

“There’s a lot of things we’re doing well, it’s ultimately not coming together at the moment and it is a shame to be honest.

"We have five games to go now back at home, back in front of our home fans again. It was nice to have them back in the ground.

“It is up to us to keep trying to take out what we can and keep learning as a side, keep getting better. It’s the same side now for two games in a row and people are starting to understand roles.

“I don't think we are far away. It’s working well with the ball, I think we are containing teams pretty well.

“It’s just trying to get across the line with the bat and that has been the hardest thing for us in a run chase."

In the first T20 match to be played in front of a crowd at the Ageas Bowl in 22 months, the home side looked to have given themselves a great chance of securing a second win of the season after holding Surrey to 146-7 when winning the toss and electing to field.

On a sluggish pitch, Hampshire's attack bowled well with the visitors scoring just 36 runs in the final seven overs of their innings.

A fantastic spell from Currie halted Surrey's hopes of posting an imposing total when he dismissed Jamie Smith, who top-scored with 59, and England batsman Ollie Pope for 22, within three balls.

Currie grabbed his three wickets from three overs with Brad Wheal taking two, and Mason Crane and Chris Wood one apiece.

D'Arcy Short and Hawks skipper James Vince got the hosts off to a flying start in their response with the bat as they scored 23 off the first three overs.

However, Australian opener Short's struggles continued when he thumped a full toss straight back at Jamie Overton to be caught and bowled for 13.

Short's departure brought 18-year-old Tom Prest to the crease but the talented teenager struggled to get bat on ball against Surrey's experienced bowling attack as the visitors put the brakes on the Hawks' run-scoring.

Veteran spinner Gareth Batty then grabbed the crucial wicket of Vince when he rattled the stumps of the England batsman, who departed for 19.

Overton's tight bowling in conjunction with Gus Atkinson and giant New Zealand quick Kyle Jamieson shut down the Hampshire batsmen with boundaries hard to come by, as Prest departed for 20 and Colin de Grandhomme for six.

Joe Weatherley tried manfully to up the run rate with a glorious shot that found the rope only to find himself back in the pavilion after the next ball, thanks to a stunning flying catch on the boundary from Pope off Overton.

Hampshire scored just one four in the final five overs as wickets continued to fall leaving the Hawks needing 27 runs from the final six balls for victory, as Surrey closed out an impressive victory.

Currie’s performance meant he has picked up seven wickets in two games, having claimed 4-31 at Somerset last week

“It’s just nice to be playing really, nice to have an opportunity and get a bit of a run of games,” the 20-year-old added.

“Wickets are falling my way at the moment but that’s just the run of T20. It can easily change and I’m well aware at that.

“It’s nice to be contributing at the moment but probably better if we were contributing to a win.”

Hampshire’s next Blast encounter comes against Gloucestershire tomorrow.