McLaren Five-Fer Keeps Hampshire Alive

Ryan McLaren took five Specsavers County Championship wickets to keep Hampshire alive against Somerset, as centuries from Johann Myburgh (110) and James Hildreth (152) gave the visitors a 255-run lead at the end of the first innings. 

McLaren removed Hildreth when he had looked unbeatable at the crease, and the South African all-rounder gave Hampshire real momentum mid-way through their first bowling innings, which had otherwise offered the home side very few chances.

Will Smith (11*) and Tom Alsop (7*) looked to provide some stability for Hampshire, after Jimmy Adams was unable to recreate his accomplished innings on day one, falling to Lewis Gregory after five balls.

McLaren prevented Marcus Trescothick (42) from reaching his fifth half-ton of the season, as Somerset’s veteran batsman edged to Sean Ervine at second slip.

The visitors climbed from 88-2 to 200-2 before lunch, as Myburgh raced towards a century and Hildreth added a fifty alongside him, putting 112 runs on together.

Hampshire turned to spin in order to restrict Somerset’s progress with the bat, introducing spinners Liam Dawson and Mason Crane, but McLaren’s second wicket was the home side’s only breakthrough of the morning session.

Myburgh’s class began to show in the afternoon and he reached his century an hour after lunch, relishing his first four-day action of 2016, as Somerset overtook Hampshire’s 219-run total. There was a risk of the visitors being out of sight by the end of day two, as the Myburgh-Hildreth partnership moved to 167 runs.

Alsop was forced to leave the field when he was struck by the ball at short leg, but he returned to the action shortly after to end concerns over his well-being.

Crane lifted Hampshire by removing Myburgh and later Trego (4) before he had settled. Myburgh played the ball down the throat of Tino Best at mid-off in a momentary lapse of concentration, and ended a measured innings from the Somerset batsman.

McLaren took his third wicket of the innings in between Crane’s breakthroughs by trapping Jim Allenby at lbw, but not before Somerset had surpassed 300 and James Hildreth had registered his third century of the season.

Hampshire finally found some momentum as McLaren began to turn the ball ferociously, claiming the key wicket of Hildreth and then Lewis Gregory (18), trapping both Somerset men at lbw to reduce the visitors to 376-7.

Tino Best ended a brief 16-run partnership between the Overton twins, Jamie and Craig, as Gareth Berg smartly caught the former at mid-wicket.  

Ryan Davies (52*) and Craig Overton (35*) frustrated the Hampshire bowlers by forging an 82-run partnership in the evening session, and declared when Davies reached fifty, on 474-8 with a 255-run lead.

Jimmy Adams had looked assured and positive when hitting 61 off 102 balls on day one, but he chopped on his fifth ball on day two, as Somerset’s Lewis Gregory found instant success with a swinging ball.

Hants skipper Smith is at the helm of Hampshire's revival, set to begin day three on 18-1 alongside Alsop.