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Adams Fifty Can't Secure Hampshire Draw At Middlesex
Adams Fifty Can't Secure Hampshire Draw At Middlesex
Report from day four & reaction from Will Smith after disappointing defeat to Middlesex
Jimmy Adams' (78) highest score of the season helped Hampshire end positively at Merchant Taylors' School, but it couldn't prevent a heavy deafeat to Middlesex, who won by an innings and 116 runs in their Specsavers County Championship match.
Rain continued to affect the contest on day four, but not enough to help the visitors to secure a draw at Northwood, as Ryan McLaren resiliently finished with an unbeaten 33 with Hants 220 all-out in their second innings.
Middlesex had proven too strong with the bat on the opening day, and James Fuller devastatingly took 5-71 on the final day to effectively seal the home side's first Championship win of the season.
A gloomy final day in London began brightly for Hampshire, as Adams reached his fifty, building a composed innings alongside Joe Weatherley (9), who was hoping to make an impact on a challenging County Championship debut.
Weatherley was bowled by Toby Roland-Jones though – the Middlesex bowler taking his fifth wicket of the match (1-39) – as Hampshire were dealt a blow to their chances of salvaging a draw from a game the home side had truly dominated.
We’ve had two contrasting games in these last two weeks. Here are think we were a shade unlucky with the ball and probably acquitted ourselves well enough with the ball. It’s been a bit more cloudy and bowler friendly since we batted.
On the flipside, we let them get away in the first session on day two and haven’t batted well enough against a highly skilled and relentless attack. We have a break, three weeks, till our next four day game. We need to make sure this kind of result doesn’t happen again.
Hampshire four-day captain Will Smith
Adams, going well on 78, was trapped at lbw by James Franklin (1-42), and when his replacement Adam Wheater (25) was caught in the slips by Adam Voges for 162/7, Middlesex were closing in on victory.
After a brief spell of rain delayed proceedings - Hampshire 162/7 - Fuller clinched his five-for by dismissing Tino Best (0) and then Mason Crane (21), who had looked determined to surpass his highest first-class score of 24.
McLaren (33*) made Middlesex wait for victory, as he and James Tomlinson (2) took Hampshire to 220 with a defiant final wicket stand of 18, before Ollie Rayner (1-14) secured victory for the home side, by an innings and 116 runs.
Hampshire picked up a single bonus point but, due to their over-rate of -2, lost two points.
Hampshire will look to bounce back in the Specsavers County Championship when they take on Somerset at the The Ageas Bowl on Sunday 26th June.
