BATTER Hilton Cartwright remains "pretty confident" Hampshire are through to the Blast quarter-finals despite suffering defeat to Essex on Thursday evening.

Jordan Cox pillaged the highest score in this year’s Men’s Vitality Blast to keep Hampshire Hawks waiting over a quarter-final place.

Batter Cox smashed a remarkable 139 off 60 balls to whack the second highest T20 tally for an Essex player – with the already exited Eagles winning three of their last four matches.

The Hawks had set a massive 220 thanks to 84 from Toby Albert and swashbuckling 41 off 24 and 56 off 23 for Tom Prest and Hilton Cartwright.

But Cox won the match in the final over with two sixes as Hawks sit in the top four, having completed their fixtures, and must hope Sussex Sharks and Kent Spitfires don’t have big wins to overtake them.

Hawks were without captain James Vince due to an illness – instead Chris Wood skippered for just the second time in the Blast – while fellow opener Chris Lynn remained sidelined with a hamstring injury.

“As soon as you get over 200, you feel you have a good chance in the game. They had to come hard and that’s exactly what they did," said Cartwright.

"The wicket suited it, and unfortunately, we couldn’t get it right with the ball. The guys are allowed to play good shots.  

“It is nice to chip in. Toby has been batting brilliantly, so I had free rein to take it on a bit. It was so relaxed out there with him.

“I’m pretty confident we are through. It will take something special to change that around. We are that far ahead of the game, net run rate-wise wise that it will take something historic.”