Hampshire captain Dimitri Mascarenhas has revealed he has twice tore tendons in his shoulder in recent weeks but battled through the pain to help his side to T20 glory.
Mascarenhas had to undergo a fitness test ahead of the semi-final against Somerset and the final against Yorkshire on Saturday and was declared fit - just. He was unable to bat but, amazingly, continued to bowl.
He responded with impressive figures – taking 2 for 11 in the semi-final and 2 for 20 in the final. A fully fit player would be proud of those numbers, but given his injury it is even more remarkable.
"I've torn my left tendon. I tore it two weeks ago and then I tore it again last week when I tried to play CB40," Mascarenhas said after the game.
"I had a scan and it's torn so I had to grin and bear it. It was a huge stress to be honest. It's not one of those where you can have an injection.
"We were trying to sort out team selection if I didn't play and for the team balance. It's not easy when your captain is looking like he's not going to be fit. I was lucky enough to get through. I actually felt a bit better in the final - maybe it was the adrenaline. It took me through it. It felt a lot sorer in the semi-final, I felt like I was bowling a bit faster in the final."
Hampshire eventually prevailed by 10 runs, Chris Wood taking three wickets in the final over to ensure a second T20 title in three years.
Punters who bet on cricket will note that further glory could soon follow given they are top of the County Championship and CB40 groups, while their victory in Cardiff on Sunday means they are through to the preliminary stages of the Champions League, which will feature the cream of the world’s T20 sides. The Australia cricket betting currently has their own Sydney Sixers as one of the favourites for the contest, even at this early stage.
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