Bailey & The Hampshire Attack Impress As The Hosts Seize Control On Opening Day

George Bailey struck a crucial half-century and Kyle Abbott claimed his 50^th first-class wicket of the season as Hampshire seized control on day one of their County Championship clash with Essex at the The Ageas Bowl.

Bailey (89) led by example by playing a crucial innings, whilst James Vince (60) also contributed with a stylish fifty as Hampshire were dismissed for 254 a few overs into the evening session.

In reply, Fidel Edwards (2-15) and Abbott (2-8) took two wickets apiece as the hosts restricted Essex to 33-5 at the close of play.

After being put into bat, Hampshire got off to a difficult start, losing opener Jimmy Adams in the second over of the day.

Joe Weatherley (8) was looking in good touch, but just two balls after crunching Jamie Porter to the boundary, the seamer grabbed his 65^th wicket of the season, reducing the hosts to 14-2.

Vince and Tom Alsop led the Hampshire charge, with the former recording three boundaries in a single over from Sam Cook as the fifty partnership was brought up in just 9.1 overs.

The pair continued to take the momentum away from the visitors, but Hampshire fell to 85-3 when Alsop (34) was bowled by Porter (4-53).

Vince remained resolute, and moved to his second first-class half-century of the season shortly before his side moved to three figures minutes before the lunch interval.

However, five overs into the afternoon session he was adjudged to have feathered behind to James Foster looking to play a drive off the back foot, leaving Hampshire on 121-4.

Bailey and Sean Ervine added 23 runs in 3.3 overs, but their stand ended when the latter nudged a delivery from Simon Harmer (3-47) to Varun Chopra at first slip.

Bailey then moved to a well-worked half-century off 79 balls with a boundary off Ravi Bopara, whilst alongside Liam Dawson, the pair recorded the highest sixth wicket stand against Essex at the The Ageas Bowl.

However, that partnership was ended in the first over of Porter’s third spell, with Dawson removed by a good delivery that swung away and clipped the top of off-stump.

Despite this, Bailey was going well alongside Ian Holland, and the right-hander brought up Hampshire’s 200 and subsequently the first bonus batting point of the afternoon with a reverse-sweep off Harmer.

Holland (11) was the next man to fall, chopping onto his stumps whilst looking to play a cut shot off Harmer as the hosts were in a precarious position on 214-7.

However, the Hampshire captain was edging towards three figures as the floodlights came on at the The Ageas Bowl, but as wickets fell around him, Bailey went to accelerate to his century and was caught in the deep by Tom Westley off Neil Wagner (1-37).

Abbott made an immediate impact with the ball as Essex began their innings, clean bowling Nick Browne (0) with just his fifth ball as the away-side were reduced to 1-1.

The seamer then took his 50^th first-class wicket of the season when he bowled Chopra (5) in his third over as his impressive form continued.

It was soon 12-3 when Fidel Edwards trapped Westley (6) in front to earn Hampshire their first bowling point, with the England batsman leaning over to play a shot into the leg-side.

Hampshire bowlers applied the pressure and it paid dividends when both Bopara (7) and Cook (0) were clean bowled by Berg and Edwards respectively as Essex slipped to 33-5 at stumps on day one.