HAMPSHIRE Hawks batter Toby Albert insisted focus remains on the next game after they recorded their best start in the T20 Blast for eight years.

John Turner spearheaded a superb bowling display against Gloucestershire as Hawks secured a third consecutive win to continue their T20 campaign in style.

Turner claimed three key wickets, while Chris Wood, Scott Currie, and Benny Howell each struck twice to restrict reigning champions Gloucestershire to 119.

In the chase, opener Albert continued his strong form - following scores of 54 and 28 not out - with a career-best 73, guiding Hawks to victory with five overs spare.

Albert said: “We don’t normally start this well so it nice to get three wins on the board early. I wasn’t even playing in 2017, I don’t think I was even on the academy.

“The wicket wasn’t as good as it was last Friday. 160 or 170 would have been a par score I think. Credit to our bowlers, they all bowled really well. Not one of them got hit and they all chipped in with wickets.

“After my first six balls it felt nice. Vincey is nice to bat with, he took the pressure off and told me to chill. I hit a few nice ones and a few not so nice ones but that is T20 cricket.

“With Lhuan-dre Pretorius not being here for the start it is a change of role going up to open. Back in 2021 when I first played I opened but I haven’t done it since. I still bat the same way and bat with freedom.

“We’ve come together as a group and everything is about winning games. We aren’t looking too far ahead, we just think how can we win the next game.”

Gloucestershire all-rounder Ollie Price added: “A combination of things went into that batting display. It wasn’t the easiest wicket and I think they bowled pretty well on it.

“We never got any momentum going. Every time we looked like we were going to build some we lost a wicket. At the end of the day that set us back and cost us.

“It was under par by quite a few. We thought 150 would keep us in it. We tried hard with the ball but Toby Albert played a nice knock. It was difficult to defend that score.

“We don’t need to panic because three games ago we won the thing. There is great talent and great options in this team. We can’t expect to turn a corner and be at 100 per cent, we need to look internally and make sure that come next Friday we show up and play like we can.”