‘I didn’t feel that good out there’ - Prest top scores as Hampshire set up knockout home tie in the Royal London Cup with Ageas Bowl win over Essex

Hampshire had found themselves behind the rate despite Tom Prest’s 76 and required 78 from the last 10 overs, on an Ageas Bowl pitch difficult to score on.

But Toby Albert – who had match-winning 84 and 65 not outs against Derbyshire and Lancashire – continued his great form with 34 in 26 balls before Felix Organ, Ian Holland and Scott Currie took their side to a three-wicket victory.

Hampshire, who were already through despite losing for the first time against Glamorgan last time out, will play a home semi-final if they beat Yorkshire at Scarborough on Tuesday, or a home play-off if they don’t and Lancashire defeat Kent.

Prest said: ‘I didn’t actually feel that good out there.

‘We felt 230 was closer to par so we knew 257 would be a tough chase but, luckily, we just got over the line.

‘Earlier in the tournament we bowled really tightly and it was our batting that let us down, but today it was the batting which got us out of trouble a bit.

‘Toby showed his class again. He came in and got a quick 30 which broke the back of the innings just as the run rate was starting to climb.

‘It is massive to get a home game (in the knockout stages). The crowds have been really good here throughout the competition.

‘It is great to have home support as they really got behind us in those last few overs today.’

Hampshire found timing the ball a chore almost from the off of their chase, as Nick Gubbins was brilliantly caught at slip by Feroze Khushi in the fourth over before Ben Brown was bowled.

Aneurin Donald added some impetus with a slog-swept and on-driven sixes and Prest looked at his most fluent during their 54-run partnership. The required run rate had gradually inclined, though.

Donald was run out attempting a push and run and Fletcha Middleton’s attempt to wrestle back the rate saw him sky straight up.

Prest reached his third fifty of the competition in 73 balls before he hoisted to long off, having twice been dropped during his innings of 76.

Victory seemed a distance off.

But Albert’s flair in a vital 60-run partnership with Organ took Hampshire to 31 needed from 28. That was dragged down to 12 needed when Organ was caught at midwicket for 30.

That dozen was knocked off by Holland and Currie with ten balls to spare, and took Hampshire back to the top of Group B.

Essex had chosen to bat and began with unbridled run-scoring with Khushi and Robin Das rushing to 44 inside six overs, but a bowling change to Jack Campbell reversed the momentum.

The Portsmouth-born left-hander struck with his fifth delivery when he found extra bounce to have Khushi caught behind before getting Tom Westley to loop to midwicket – both wickets sandwiched by Das flicking Ian Holland to deep square to leave Essex 48-3.

Grant Roelofson, the Eagles’ leading run-getter in the competition, lived a charmed life as he was dropped on five, eight and 29 before Albert finally clung on under a steepler at deep square.

Nick Browne and Luc Benkenstein had also departed by this point, with Essex 112-6, with Aron Nijjar following when leg before to Gubbins’ leg spin.

But Shane Snater and Richards recovered things and took their side towards a par score.

Netherlands international Snater caught the eye with a huge slog sweep but it was his intelligent gap finding that accumulated runs quickly.

His maiden format fifty came in 51 balls during a 96-run stand with Richards, who only scored one boundary in his unbeaten 31.

Snater was eventually caught at cover for 64 but Ben Allison thwacked two sixes to take Essex to 257-8.