GEORGE Bailey hit the highest T20 score of his career - but could not stop Hampshire sliding to a third successive home defeat.

The Australian’s unbeaten 89 surpassed last season’s 76 against Hampshire for Middlesex as his career-best in the shortest format.

It is only the fourth occasion he has reached double figures in ten T20 innings this season and helped propel Hampshire to 168-6 - their second highest total at West End in this year’s Natwest T20 Blast.

But Hampshire still slid to another Ageas Bowl loss after Adam Wheater blasted a 26-ball fifty on his return.

After several protests from James Foster over a ‘six’ that was not given, Essex began the final over needing just five and reached their target with two balls to spare.

“I thought 168 was defendable, we thought it was a good score,” said Hampshire director of cricket Giles White. 

Essex were soon ahead of the rate.

Wheater capitalised on the short boundary, peppering the western berm with successive sixes over mid-wicket against Dawson at the end of the fifth over, which cost 23.

Essex (68-1) were well ahead of Hampshire (51-2) at the end of the powerplay, which also included one of Wheater’s two maximums against Kyle Abbott.

All 94 of Wheater’s runs in this season’s Blast have come against Hampshire. The last of his four sixes was remarkable, a top-edged pull over fine leg.

Dawson eventually avenged his treatment and Lewis McManus took an excellent diving catch as Dan Lawrence’s innovation against Chris Wood backfired.

Bopara was caught behind trying to cut a wide leg break and Zaidi launched Crane for six over cover before he was stumped against the savvy Dawson.

Essex needed 21 off the last three overs when Dawson bowled Ryan ten Doeschate first ball.

But Paul Walter, who had helped set the tone with a spectacular dismissal of Tom Alsop, stayed calm as Foster’s temper frayed.

Meanwhile, Hampshire’s poor home form continues despite their improvement with the bat.

Bailey and Rilee Rossouw shared 54 in 45 balls after James Vince and Alsop were dismissed in the first two overs from the Pavilion End.

Soon after losing the toss, Vince was out for a platinum duck, lbw to Pakistan star Mohammad Amir, before Alsop’s off stump was uprooted.

Rossouw continued his Lord’s form of 24 hours earlier but was injured in pursuit of a quick single before giving slow left-armer Ashar Zaidi a return catch with Hampshire 82-3 at halfway.

Bailey hit Hampshire’s only two sixes, against Zaidi and Amir, but Essex responded with six -including four in the powerplay - before clinching their third win in spite of some poor fielding.

HAMPSHIRE innings
JM Vince lbw b Mohammad Amir 0 (1)
RR Rossouw c & b Ashar Zaidi 36 (24)
TP Alsop b Walter 11 (8)
GJ Bailey not out 89 (62)
SM Ervine b Ashar Zaidi 7 (9)
LD McManus run out (ten Doeschate) 0 (1)
LA Dawson c Walter b Mohammad Amir 18 (14)
GK Berg not out 0 (1)
Extras 7 (b 1, lb 4, w 2)
TOTAL 168/6
     Did not bat: KJ Abbott, CP Wood, MS Crane
      Bowling: Mohammad Amir 4-0-43-2, DW Lawrence 2-0-20-0, PI Walter 4-0-33-1, MW Dixon1-0-4-0, RS Bopara 2-0-16-0, Ashar Zaidi 4-0-24-2, SR Harmer 3-0-23-0.    
     Fall of wickets:1-0 (JM Vince, 0.1 ov), 2-28 (TP Alsop, 2.2 ov), 3-82 (RR Rossouw, 9.5 ov), 4-106 (SM Ervine, 13.4 ov), 5-106 (LD McManus, 13.5 ov), 6-149 (LA Dawson, 18.4 ov).

ESSEX innings
AJA Wheater b Dawson 50 (26)
V Chopra lbw b Berg 30 (16)
DW Lawrence c McManus b Wood 20 (22)
Ashar Zaidi st McManus b Dawson 21 (17)
RS Bopara c McManus b Crane 0 (2)
JS Foster not out 33 (25)
RN ten Doeschate b Dawson 0 (1)
PI Walter not out 12 (9)
Extras 3 (lb 2, w 1)
TOTAL 169-6 (19.4 overs)
     Did not bat: SR Harmer, Mohammad Amir, MW Dixon
     Bowling: GK Berg 4-0-38-1, CP Wood 4-0-28-1, KJ Abbott 3.4-0-34-0, LA Dawson 4-0-41-3, MS Crane 4-0-26-1        
     Fall of wickets:1-66 (V Chopra, 5.4 ov), 2-92 (AJA Wheater, 8.6 ov), 3-108 (DW Lawrence, 11.5 ov), 4-109 (RS Bopara, 12.2 ov), 5-148 (Ashar Zaidi, 16.5 ov), 6-148 (RN ten Doeschate, 16.6 ov)

ESSEX WON BY FOUR WICKETS