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Simon Jones: Claimed five wickets against Hampshire.

SIMON Jones sent out a message to the rest of the country as he claimed his first five-wicket haul in one-day cricket as Worcestershire Royals romped to victory over Hampshire Hawks.

The New Road side picked up their second win in the Friends Provident Trophy South/West Division as they beat the Hawks by nine wickets.

The Welshman claimed 5-32 before saying there is more to come, while County skipper Vikram Solanki hit a 59-ball 81. Jones' previous best in limited-overs games was 3-19, picked up at Old Trafford for Glamorgan in 2005, but yesterday he was the happiest man at New Road.

It was the 29-year-old's second spell from the Diglis End where he took four wickets in 11 balls for just five runs that saw the visitors dismissed for 209 in 48 overs, before the Royals chased the total with 22.3 overs to spare.

"I'm delighted. I have never had a five-for in one-dayers," Jones said. "I had a very good feeling before the start of this match. This is something that I have always wanted to do.

"I have done well in four-day games and Test matches, but never quite got there in this form of the game - I'm really happy. The body is feeling better and better the more I bowl. I felt that the warm-ups went well, no niggles or stiffness. I prefer bowling from the Diglis End and it showed with my second spell from there."

In only his second one-day match for the Royals, Jones is hoping his injury woes are now behind him.

"I have been working hard on my fitness and my bowling. Hopefully, it is paying off and my luck changes. I don't see why there shouldn't be more to come from me," Jones added.

The Royals kept a fairly tight rein on the Hawks with only Greg Lamb managing to find any luck from the Worcestershire bowlers, hitting 84 off 89 balls, as Hampshire looked on for getting 250.

Solanki, with two sixes and 12 fours for his 81, and Davies (76 not out) set about hunting down the Hawks bowling.

Moeen Ali (42no) and Davies guided the Royals home in the 28th over.

7:32pm Sunday 11th May 2008

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