Day Two
Sam Hain passed fifty for the third time in five innings this season as Warwickshire further took control over the game against Hampshire in the LV= Insurance County Championship.
Hain began the season with centuries against Kent and Somerset and returned to form after a quiet match against Surrey with a faultless 85.
Hampshire had found hope with three wickets in a truncated morning session to fashion a collapse from 83 without loss to 95 for three but half-centuries for Alex Davies, Ed Barnard, and Michael Burgess accompanied Hain.
Barnard, in particular, ground the hosts down to end the day on a stylish unbeaten 91, Burgess partnered him on 60 and Warwickshire on 364 for five, a lead of 135 – although forecast rain on Saturday may thwart their chances of victory.
Hain’s stock has been rising for several years, having burst onto the scene with a double century in his debut season in 2015 – where he averaged over 50.
His run tallies in the previous three Championship seasons – 914 in 2019, 881 in 2021, and 1,137 in 2022 when only Keaton Jennings and Ben Compton totted up more Division One runs – prove he is no flash in the pan.
Against Hampshire’s Keith Barker-less attack, he found a perfect adagio tempo where he carefully went about his work, having arrived at the crease in the middle of a top-order hiccup.
Rob Yates and Alex Davies had negotiated the day one evening session flawlessly to compile 82 runs but were separated within three legal deliveries of the morning when Yates lobbed a caught and bowled back at Kyle Abbott.
Davies reached his 44th first-class fifty with a slap through the covers, his 90th delivery, but perished three balls later when Mohammad Abbas nipped one back into his pads.
Only seven overs were possible before lunch but only 13 runs were scored, with Will Rhodes becoming the third victim – leg before to Abbott.
Hain settled things after lunch. For large periods you wouldn’t notice him, and then he’d force your attention with an impeccably timed shot.
His cover drive to take him to a 110-ball fifty was the absolute highlight, however.
Hong Kong-born, Australian-raised Hain, who will be 28 in July, captained England Lions in Sri Lanka during the winter, while a hamstring injury scuppered his chance to train with the Test squad in the UAE before the tour to Pakistan. He instead busied himself at the Big Bash.
A bolter call-up for the Ashes is unlikely, despite his form, with just Josh Bohannon ahead of him in the Division One scoring charts this season. He has 382 runs at an average of 95.5.
Mousley stuck with him for just over an hour and a half in a 69-run stand before he was lbw swinging across the line to Ian Holland.
Holland also produced a rare misjudgment from Hain to be caught behind – a decision which appeared to disappoint the batter.
Barnard had put on 86 with Hain, as Warwickshire strode into a first-innings lead and to a batting point, and reached his maiden half-century for the county after his winter move from Worcestershire.
At which point more intent was shown, with a third bonus point in sight – something they achieved with five balls to spare.
Michael Burgess was dropped at deep square leg before aggressively reaching his fifty in 70 balls, while Barnard soured from 43 in 90 balls to 91 in 138 by close.
