Hampshire Secure First Championship Win Of The Season

Hampshire sealed their first Specsavers County Championship victory of the 2016 season against Nottinghamshire, winning by 69 runs after a thrilling conclusion on day four at the The Ageas Bowl.

After Hampshire declared on 223/9 during the morning session on the final day, leading by 304 runs, West Indian fast bowler Tino Best took 4-47 to settle an enthralling encounter with Notts, as Mason Crane (3-70) and Ryan McLaren (2-37) dismissed key batsmen.

The match was too close to call at tea, with the Hants bowlers requiring five wickets and Notts' batsmen needing 127 runs, but Best and Crane delivered an breath-taking finale to a terrfically unpredicatble match at the The Ageas Bowl.

The home side usefully added 30 runs to their batting total from the first eight overs on day four before declaring, satisfied with a 304-run lead. James Tomlinson (16*) and Mason Crane (13*) finished unbeaten, after Ryan McLaren’s (43) impressive contribution with the bat.

Best then struck twice with the ball to reduce Notts to 21/2, trapping Michael Lumb at lbw after opener Jake Libby had edged to wicket-keeper Adam Wheater, and handing Hampshire the early initiative.

McLaren (2-37) solidified Hampshire’s strong position in the game before lunch, taking the key wicket of Steven Mullaney (20) with the last ball of the morning session to reduce Notts to 50/3 at the break, trailing the home side by 254 runs.

The South African bowler then continued Hampshire’s dominance on day four, removing Riki Wessels (6) - who edged to Wheater – and reducing the visitors to 69/4.

With Notts’ batsmen on the back foot, Brendan Taylor (71) supplied his highest score of the season – a resilient innings which clawed Notts back into contention in the afternoon session.

Best never seemed far from the centre of the action, and when Taylor was going well alongside Samit Patel (46), the West Indian took an excellent catch for Mason Crane’s first wicket of the innings. The wicket of Taylor was a crucial step towards victory for Hampshire, and Best’s reaction showed it.

As play approached tea, Samit Patel (65) closed in on his fifty, frustrating a Hampshire bowling attack that had lost some firepower since lunch.

At the start of the final session of the match, Hampshire’s versatile bowling attack – Crane, Best and McLaren – searched for a sixth wicket, up against Patel and Dan Christian (1*), who had equal rights for securing their own victory.

Two opportunities for Will Smith to catch Notts’ resilient batsmen fell agonisingly short of Hampshire’s captain, as the visitors moved to within 100 of victory.

An enthralling climax to the match saw Hampshire close in on victory through Tino Best, removing Christian’s (31) middle stump, and then Brett Hutton (0) for good measure – a magnificent catch at deep fine leg by Crane giving the home side real hope.

Crane cranked up the heat on Nottinghamshire, as Patel was caught from the young spinner, edging to Sean Ervine in the slips when attempting a desperately extravagant shot.

Hampshire secured a courageous 69-run victory over Notts when Michael Carberry pocketed batsman Harry Gurney at point, bringing an end to a fascinating game that had captivated the The Ageas Bowl crowd. Dominated by Hampshire on days two and three, then thrown into the balance on day four, it was hard to predict its outcome.

Hants' victory, taking 21 points from the match, moves the side off the bottom of the Division One table and they will hope to compound their triumph when they travel to Middlesex on Sunday.