Hampshire’s Bowlers Set Up Tense Final Day At Edgbaston

Gareth Berg led the Hampshire bowling attack on day three as the visitors set up a tense final day in their County Championship clash with Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Berg (3-40) picked up two wickets to help dismiss the hosts for 186 in their second innings, whilst there were also wickets for Fidel Edwards, Kyle Abbott and Ian Holland.

In reply, Tom Alsop (6*) & Sean Ervine (2*) guided Hampshire to 20-1 before the bad rain forced play to be abandoned, with the visitors needing a further 239 runs for victory on the final day.

Edwards (2-62) claimed the early scalp of Liam Banks (14), before Holland dismissed the resistant Dominic Sibley (13) for the first time in the match to leave Warwickshire on 41-2 early on.

Jonathan Trott (20) guided his side’s lead into three figures, but his innings came to an end when Berg lured him into an edge, with Alsop taking his third catch of the innings.

Berg turned the game on its head in the space of four deliveries, wrapping Matthew Lamb (0) on the pads before Tim Ambrose (0) was caught by Adams in the slips as Warwickshire slipped to 65-5.

Alex Thomson (24) moved the away-side's lead beyond 150, but wickets continued to fall with the hosts on 95-7, after Abbott (2-45) bowled both him and Jeetan Patel (0) in consecutive deliveries either side of lunch.

Chris Wright (11) looked to occupy the crease but was emphatically run out by George Bailey before Oliver Hannon-Dalby (9) saw his middle stump removed from the ground to reduce Warwickshire to 127-9.

Ian Bell remained at the crease throughout, and moved the lead into 200 with a maximum to move to an important half-century.

The former England batsman showed good intent and brought up the fifty partnership for the final wicket alongside Ryan Sidebottom (13).

The tail-ender was trapped in front by Holland (2-21) as Warwickshire were dismissed for 186, setting Hampshire 259 runs for victory.

Tom Alsop and Jimmy Adams (4) made a watchful start to proceedings seeing off the new ball before the latter edged to Sibley in Hannon-Dalby’s first over to reduce the visitors to 18-1.

Alsop and Ervine guided Hampshire to 20-1 at tea, before the rain started to fall and the persistent bad weather meant that no play was possible in the evening session.