Bowlers Dominate As Hampshire Seize Control On Day One

Hampshire trail by just two runs after they bowled Lancashire out for 149 as 15 wickets fell on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship clash at the The Ageas Bowl.

James Vince top scored with 40 as batsmen found it difficult on a sandy pitch as the home side reached 147 for five at the close of play.

Ryan McLaren, returning to the county he represented in 2016, chose to bat after winning the toss under blue skies with only the occasional nonthreatening cloud.

The pitch hinted spin would be heavily used across the four days with a sprinkling of sand at either end of the wicket – marked by a noticeably lighter hue.

For the first hour things went swimmingly for the visitors as Alex Davies looked at easy against the new ball, while Haseeb Hameed wanted to put into practice tips learned during a batting session with England batting coach Mark Ramprakash earlier this week.

Watchful Hameed took exactly half an hour to open his tally, with a guided edge through fourth slip, but fell tamely as he dabbed his bat at a wide Fidel Edwards delivery which was caught at second slip.

Davies had appeared fluent against pace but struggled with Dawson’s turn and bounce.

He got away with a thick edge to James Vince at second slip on 31, but five runs later prodded straight to Sean Ervine at first slip.

Dane Vilas feathered an edged behind off the medium pace bowler Ian Holland before Liam Livingstone lbw to Kyle Abbott on the other side of lunch.

West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul attempted to re-build the innings using his vast experience with Jos Buttler.

But the 42-year-old was pushed into a quick single to take on Mason Crane at backward point, with the fielder directly hitting to leave Lancashire 88 for five.

Buttler continued the procession when he was bowled by an Edwards beauty – which clipped the top of off-stump.

Leg-spinner Crane had been forced to watch England man Liam Dawson bowl 14 overs before he had a go at turning it out the sand.

And it only took until the second over to have McLaren chipping back to him, before Gareth Berg made sure every Hampshire bowler came away with a wicket when Stephen Parry edged to first slip.

Crane mopped up the tail with Jordan Clark and Matt Parkinson both nicking off in consecutive balls to leave the 20-year-old with figures of three for 27.

Hampshire began their reply with freedom as Jimmy Adams and Lewis McManus put on 21.

But left hander Adams slashed with minimal foot movement to be caught behind before the wicket-keeper followed with a tentative prod to Livingstone at first slip.

Vince and Ervine entered and appeared to be playing on another wicket as boundaries flowed and a day high 59-run stand was put on, with Vince in particular driving and flicking well with supple wrists

Ervine departed when he flicked behind and Vince skied a pull shot to mid-wicket for 40.

Parkinson found the edge of George Bailey’s bat in his first over before Livingstone caught low at first slip but Holland and Dawson took Hampshire to the close without another loss.