Daily Reports: Hampshire v Warwickshire, Specsavers County Championship

Day Four

Kyle Abbott claimed his fourth five-wicket haul of this year's Specsavers County Championship as Hampshire were denied victory by Warwickshire on day four at the The Ageas Bowl.

Sam Hain’s second century in the match and Ben Mike and Jeetan Patel’s brave half-centuries saw the visitors avoid defeat, with Hampshire picking up 13 points 

The draw means Warwickshire edged further away from the relegation place, as they took 10 points from the match, while Hampshire’s title hopes took another huge dent despite a 13-point haul.

Hampshire had looked on course for their fourth Championship victory of the season as they needed seven wickets on the final day at the The Ageas Bowl.

Abbott had taken three wickets in a galvanic evening period on day three, which accounted for both openers, Dominic Sibley and Will Rhodes, and nightwatchman Olly Stone.

Six overs into the opening day, Abbott bowled Rob Yates while coming around the wicket to sneak between bat and pad.

In his next over, Adam Hose made the mistake of leaving a straight delivery from Abbott – that left the visitors 52 for five and Abbott with figures of five for 78.

Hain, who had scored a century in the first innings, frustrated Hampshire with a 51-run stand with Tim Ambrose for the sixth wicket.

But Keith Barker was rewarded for accurate bowling in both innings against his former county as Ambrose edged to Ajinkya Rahane at second slip.

Hain passed 50 for the second time in the match in 77 balls as he teamed up with Mike for the seventh wicket.

Hain reached his second hundred of the game, the first Warwickshire player to do so on the road since Ian Bell at Lancashire in 2004, in 188 balls – having not scored three figures in the Championship for three years prior to this match.

Mike moved to his personal best score of 68 not out, having reach his maiden half century in 89 balls.

But the Mike and Hain vigil ended when Ian Holland, with three overs still to bowl until the second new ball, found Mike’s outside edge to be caught behind, Lewis McManus taking an excellent catch stood up to the stumps.

Organ then found a ball to turn viciously out the rough and into the stumps to finally dismiss Hain in the match, the right-hander bowled round his legs.

But the second new ball didn’t hand Hampshire the wickets they desired as Patel reached his fifty, alongside Brookes who finished unbeaten on 36.

Day Three

Kyle Abbott produced a superb evening spell with the new ball to put Hampshire in a strong position to secure victory over Warwickshire at the The Ageas Bowl.

Fast bowler Abbott snatched three for 18 in five overs to put his side in the box seat, after Hampshire had set the visitors 404 to win.

The seameraccounted for both openers Dominic Sibley and Will Rhodes, along with nightwatchman Olly Stone in a breathless stint - which left Warwickshire on 31 for three at the close.

Earlier, Sam Hain had celebrated his first Specsavers County Championship hundred for three years.

Highly rated batsman Hain needed 196 balls to reach the milestone for the first time since July 2016, which also came against Hampshire, before he eventually ended unbeaten on 129.

The previous evening, Gareth Berg had declared the morning session to be vital in Hampshire’s hopes of winning this game.

They needed seven Warwickshire first innings wickets quickly to move the match along and claimed all seven mid-way through the afternoon session, with five coming in a frantic morning session.

Fidel Edwards struck in the 10th over of the day, the fourth with the fresh ball, when Adam Hose was lbw to an in-swinger, before Keith Barker had former teammate Tim Ambrose caught behind.

Gareth Berg and Lewis McManus teamed up twice in an over as both Ben Mike and Henry Brookes edged behind. Edwards then unearthed Jeetan Patel’s off stump.

The one stable constant was Hain, who had batted brilliantly with Rob Yates, the previous day and continued that form with an intelligent knock.

Stone added  21 before he was run out by Ajinkya Rahane, while attempting a second run, before Oliver Hannon-Dalby edged Felix Organ to first slip.

That meant Warwickshire were bowled out for 307 and 232 runs adrift of Hampshire’s first innings total of 539, but the hosts decided against enforcing the follow-on.

Instead, they gave their pace attack a rest and set about adding runs quickly.

It worked for 10 overs as openers Ian Holland and Organ ticked the score to 45 before they were both bowled by Hannon-Dalby and Jeetan Patel respectively.

Rahane and Rilee Rossouw followed quickly after, both at the hands of Hannon-Dalby, to leave Hampshire on 52 for four, with a lead of 284.

But Donald replicated his eye-catching century from the first-innings with 41-ball half century – which saw a maximum over deep midwicket – during a 71-run stand with Sam Northeast.

Berg was stumped, Lewis McManus, after an entertaining 20, was caught and Keith Barker edged behind before the declaration was made with Hampshire on 171 for eight.

Warwickshire were given a target of 404 to win the match with a minimum of 107 overs left in the game, 11 of which were bowled on a beautifully hot summer’s evening.

Abbott needed just 11 balls to find a ball to nip back into new England Lions call-up Sibley’s off stump.

The former Test bowler then had Rhodes caught low at second slip by Rahane and nightwatchman Stone bowled next ball to reach 41 scalps for the season.

Day Two

Hampshire returned on 450 for six after an an extraordinary opening day which had seen Ian Holland and Aneurin Donald notch centuries.

The bright sunshine which had emblazoned the The Ageas Bowl made way for overcast conditions on day two, although the wicket remained flat as Hampshire added 89 more runs.

Gareth Berg lasted five overs before he was castled by Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

Lewis McManus and Keith Barker, against his former county, added 60 for the eighth wicket, scoring 41 not out and 35 respectively.

But the final three wickets fell for six runs as Ben Mike had Barker caught at deep square leg before Stone had Kyle Abbott lbw and Fidel Edwards bounced out, caught at a moving gully, to claim figures of five for 93.

Warwickshire’s reply started poorly as Will Rhodes edged Kyle Abbott behind to leave the visitors 15 for one at lunch.

That became 39 for two when Division One’s highest run-maker Dom Sibley tamely chipped Abbott to cover.

With 350 runs still required to avoid the follow-on, and an uber-accurate and disciplined Hampshire bowling attack asserting plenty of pressure, Sam Hain and Rob Yates joined for a dogged partnership.

Attacking shots came at a premium throughout the afternoon session, with the run-rate barely touching two.

Top order batsman Yates, who only signed his first professional deal last December, but showed maturity which belied his age to guide his side towards the follow-on target.

The 19-year-old academy graduate added a vital 142-run stand for the third wicket with fellow talented youngster Sam Hain, who collected his second Specsavers County Championship half-century of the season.

He batted patiently to reach a half-century in 144 balls, beating his previous best score of 49 and appeared on course for three figures.

But he meekly fell for 91 when he struck part-time spinner Felix Organ to short midwicket.

Meanwhile, Hain passed his 3,000th Championship run before moving to his own fifty in 85-balls as he ended the day unbeaten on 67. Warwickshire on 198 for three, still 191 adrift of the follow-on and trailing by 341.

Day One

Ian Holland scored his maiden First-Class century and Aneurin Donald reached three figures for the first time since joining Hampshire during the first day of their Specsavers County Championship fixture with Warwickshire.

American-born Australian Holland proved the glue to the Hampshire innings having been promoted to open, while housemate Donald provided the flair and fireworks.

The pair smashed an 82-year record for the fifth wicket for Hampshire, as they clubbed 262 together, beating the 235-stand between Gerry Hill and Donald Walker at Portsmouth in 1937.

Hampshire were also boosted by Sam Northeast’s half-century; on the day he was called up for the England Lions squad to face Australia A at Canterbury next weekend.

Warwickshire had elected to field without a toss on a green tinged wicket, under glorious blue skies.

They were able to call on Olly Stone for the first time this season.

Fast bowler Stone has been sidelined since January after picking up a bone stress injury in his lower back while on England duty in the West Indies.

After almost seven months out he found himself back in the wicket-taking fold as he had Felix Organ caught at second slip.

Stone didn’t take long to grab a second scalp as Indian Test star Ajinkya Rahane caressed a boundary first ball before being caught at slip.

With the ball nipping around, and Hampshire 31 for two, Northeast and Holland needed to rebuild.

And they did with a 98-run stand, which negated the new ball and built a strong foundation for the rest of the day’s play.

Northeast fell for 59, after a 54-ball fifty, soon after lunch when Oliver Hannon-Dalby produced a near-unplayable delivery to find an edge behind.

Rilee Rossouw provided a precursor to what was to come with an entertaining 34 before he was bowled off his pads by a spearing delivery from spinner Jeetan Patel.

From then on in it was Holland and Donald dominating the Warwickshire bowling.

Holland was boosted up the batting order and he was watchful to reach a 103-ball fifty and continued to climb to three figures while allowing the attacking to be done from the other end.

Holland eased past his previous best before reaching a ton in 201 deliveries – bringing up the milestone with a deft sweep.

Donald looked at ease from ball one as he scored at a comfortable run-a-ball, picking up a half-century in 48-balls.

The 22-year-old Welshman, who joined from Glamorgan at the end of last year, then scored his first century since July 2016, his breakthrough double ton, in 103-balls.

But it was his next 20 balls which left the The Ageas Bowl with a collective jaw-drop as he moved from 100 to 150 with sixes and boundaries galore.

Holland reached 143 before he was finally out, caught off the bowling of Stone to end the mammoth partnership.

Donald was caught for 173 in the day's final over as Hampshire finished on 450-6.