McManus and Crane Star on Nail-Biting Final Day

An unbeaten half-century from Lewis McManus and four wickets for Mason Crane saw Hampshire secure a tense day four draw v Durham

Lewis McManus (53*) scored his maiden first-class fifty, whilst Mason Crane (4-72) took four crucial wickets as Hampshire salvaged a draw on a rain-affected LV=CC County Championship game with Durham at the The Ageas Bowl.

Durham resumed overnight on 61-1, and Mark Stoneman (88) soon passed fifty for the third time this season and the third half-century against Hampshire of his career.

He and Scott Borthwick (39) added 71 for the second wicket before leg-spinner Borthwick was clean bowled Crane, who recorded his best first-class figures.

John Hastings (7) looked to be aggressive from the outset, however Crane got his man just five runs later, with Will Smith holding onto a simple catch at mid-wicket.

Stoneman was nearing his third consecutive hundred, but he then fell 12 runs short when he was trapped LBW with Crane getting another wicket, his fourth of the innings.

Shortly after, captain Paul Collingwood (29*) declared on 190-4 as Durham set Hampshire a target of 305 runs to win their second LV=CC County Championship game of the season.

Hampshire’s run chase got off to the worst possible start when Carberry (0) edged a Chris Rushworth (3-33) delivery to Michael Richardson on the first ball of the innings.

The wicket meant that Rushworth claimed a hat-trick that spanned over three overs, as he took one in the last ball of one over and another one in the first ball of the next over.

Jimmy Adams (12) and Liam Dawson (20) showed some fight with a stand off 32, before Rushworth dismissed the pair in quick succession to leave Hampshire in trouble.

Ryan Pringle (5-57) then made good use out of the pitch to dismiss both James Vince (0) and Will Smith (0) as  Hampshire collapsed from 32-1 to 39-5.

Despite the precarious position, Joe Gatting (32) and McManus dug in and frustrated the Durham bowlers with a partnership worth 43 runs in almost 17 overs.

Gatting soon fell to Pringle, who got his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket but McManus was joined by Gareth Berg (35) who offered good support, as the pair put on the first fifty partnership of the innings. Berg’s quick-fire knock came off just 28 balls before he was bowled by Scott Borthwick (1-37).

Jackson Bird (12) and McManus were still battling hard at the crease until the rain halted proceedings. After the delay, Durham were left with 15 overs to try and force a result.

Pringle then both trapped Bird and Tomlinson (0) LBW to set up a tense finale with three overs remaining in the day but McManus and Crane (5*) saw out the final few overs as Hampshire snatch a draw.

Words: Scott Taylor

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