LV County Championship Hampshire vs Lancashire Day 2

LVCC Hampshire vs Lancashire Day 2

On Day 2 of this County Championship game against Lancashire, Hampshire looked to power on from their overnight total of 144 for 2 and James Vince got the day off to a fantastic start with a four in the day’s first over.

Jimmy Adams, who dominated proceedings yesterday, continued in defiant form with two brilliantly played fours off Smith in the subsequent over.
Vince began his innings quite superbly; a back foot cover drive was his finest boundary of four in the opening overs. Adams swiftly moved on to his 6th First Class century, off 172 balls with 15 fours and one six, with a bottom edge down to third man for four.
Lancashire decided a change in bowling was needed and introduced Oliver Newby. He was an instant success. Newby found an edge that was caught well by wicketkeeper Luke Sutton; Vince left the field having scored 23. Liam Dawson, batting at 5, succumbed to Newby’s short delivery that he edged behind for just 3.
Newby continued his devastating spell picking up the important wicket of Adams, caught lbw, for 107 leaving the home side 194 for 5. It was down to new men Dimi Mascarenhas and Sean Ervine to steady the ship and Ervine got off to a good start with a clever stroke through mid-wicket to pick up his first boundary as Hampshire past 200. Mascarenhas picked up his first four with a delicate touch down to third man.
The batsmen were resilient in their game and Lancashire’s attack found chances hard to come by. The introduction of spin at both ends, in the form of Steve Parry and Gary Keedy, failed to find a breakthrough as Ervine and Mascarenhas passed the 50 partnership mark.
At lunch Hampshire were 246 for 5.

Hampshire began the afternoon session looking to accelerate their run rate and Sean Ervine quickly signalled his intentions as he walked down the track and hoisted Gary Keedy over long on for four. Lancashire took the second new ball and after several tight overs, Kyle Hogg induced an edge behind from Mascarenhas, who fell for 21. Ervine brought up his fifty soon after with a quick single before a powerful square cut brought him his seventh boundary.
 
Oliver Newby then bagged another wicket after wicket keeper Tom Burrows (0) edged one to VVS Laxman at second slip. Hampshire’s hopes of passing 300 and claiming 3 batting points now rested on Ervine’s shoulders. Perhaps sensing the need to take charge, he went hard at a short ball and sent a top edge over the head of the keeper for four.
 
David Griffiths then fell for a duck, bowled by a spinning delivery from Keedy. New man Imran Tahir (0) lasted only two balls before losing his off stump to a full length ball from Tom Smith. Running out of partners, Ervine steered Keedy through point where a fielding error from Mal Loye gave him another boundary. Lancashire brought the field in to deny Ervine the chance to steal the strike but he responded in magnificent style, crashing a mammoth six over midwicket to raise the Hampshire 300. And the entertainment continued with an audacious reverse sweep that sailed into the crowd for another six.
 
James Tomlinson, who was clinging on bravely at the other end, was then dropped at first slip off Newby. As Lancashire heads went down, Ervine lofted Keedy straight down the ground before steering him down to third man for consecutive boundaries to move to 98. Tomlinson joined in the fun with a nudge down to fine leg for four. Ervine then reached a heroic century, his seventh in first class cricket, with a dab down to third man for two. A few more boundaries off Newby saw him continue to frustrate the visitors before he holed out for 114 giving Hampshire a score of 337 all out.

Hampshire went in search for early wickets and the bowling attack pairing of James Tomlinson and Dimitri Mascarenhas tried to get some pace and bounce in a pitch that was quickly drying up under the sun. Visiting opener Paul Horton took advantage of perfect batting conditions as he hit Mascarenhas through cover to claim the first boundary of the innings.
 
Horton continued to play havoc with Hampshires attack as a further two easy boundaries paved the way for a good individual total. Tomlinson deceived fellow opener Tom Smith with a slower delivery that ringed an appeal of lbw; however, the umpire wasnt interested. The next ball Smith read much better as he unleashed an on drive that travelled for four. Mascarenhas then had his own appeal of lbw turned down with Smith on the end of it once again. The captain had another appeal turned down when he thought he had trapped Horton but the umpire was not convinced.
 
David Griffiths came in to the attack and he had an appeal of his own ignored after he thought he had Horton trapped leg before. Griffiths then seduced Horton into a pull shot that he misjudged, and when it flew up into the air, Imran Tahir got underneath it to make a good catch. Horton was out for 34 as Hampshire got their breakthrough.
 
Tahir and Griffiths continued a good spell where not many runs were conceded as Horton and new man Mal Loye looked like they wanted to see out the day. Hampshire had another lbw appeal turned down yet again when Tahir thought he trapped Loye, the umpire still remained unconvinced. Liam Dawson even had one of his own ignored in the subsequent over, and Lancashire reached the 100 mark in the following ball for the lost of only one wicket.

At stumps Lancashire were 106 for 1; Hampshire lead by 231 runs.

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