MATCH CENTRE: Middlesex 2nd XI v Hampshire 2nd XI
Keep up with the action as Hampshire's 2nd XI take on Middlesex 2nd XI at Radlett in the Second XI Championship
Will Smith (85) scored his sixth half-century of the season to secure vital bonus points for Hampshire on Day Three of the LV=CC County Championship game with Durham at the The Ageas Bowl.
Smith resumed his innings on 27* and as the ball got older, the former Durham all-rounder took advantage of the conditions to score the 31st first-class fifty of his career.
Chris Rushworth recorded season-best figures of 6-39 as Hampshire were bowled out for 307, leaving Durham with a lead of 114 runs after the first innings.
Mark Stoneman (39*) and Scott Borthwick (4*) cautiously negotiated the visitors to 62-1 at the close of play, with Mason Crane (1-7) picking up a cruicial late wicket, as Durham increased their lead to 175 to set up an interesting final day of the match.
Hampshire started the day on 119-3 and Smith and Carberry continued to rebuild the innings after losing three early wickets yesterday evening. The pair found conditions tricky in the opening overs, but soon moved the fourth-wicket partnership to 83.
This was until Carberry (73) edged a Ryan Pringle (2-79) delivery to the hands of Durham captain Paul Collingwood at first slip, to end a well-fought innings by the left-hander.
Shortly after, Smith brought up his half-century with his sixth four of the innings. After a morning session where runs were difficult to come by, Smith and Joe Gatting moved Hampshire past 200.
The milestone meant that Hampshire gained their first batting point in five matches since beating Sussex at Hove in June.
Gatting (43) recorded his highest score against Durham as he and Smith put on fifty for the fifth wicket partnership.
However, he too edged to Collingwood at first slip off the bowling of Rushworth, who is the leading wicket-taker in Division One.
Another half-century partnership between Smith and Lewis McManus (29) earned Hampshire their second batting point before Smith was trapped LBW by Borthwick (1-76).
McManus reached his highest first-class score as he and Berg (31) started to score runs at a quick rate.
Rushworth then returned from the pavilion end as he dismissed McManus, Bird (2) and Tomlinson (0) in quick succession with Hampshire over 100 runs behind.
The Durham seamer then claimed his 68th first-class wicket of the season shortly after when Berg chipped the ball to John Hastings as the last four wickets fell for four runs in 14 deliveries.
Stoneman got Durham off to a good quick in their second innings, and the batsman passed 6,000 first-class runs as he and Clark scored 27 of the first five overs.
However, the spin pair of Liam Dawson and Mason Crane did well to restrict the scoring rate. Stoneman and Clark put on 49 for the first wicket before a superb catch from Dawson gave Crane his first wicket of the innings.
Stoneman and Borthwick cautiously saw out the final few overs of the day’s play from Dawson and Crane, who made good use out of the turning wicket.
Hampshire will be looking to keep the run rate down and take early wickets on the start of Day Four, which starts tomorrow at 11am.
Words: Scott Taylor
Keep up with the action as Hampshire's 2nd XI take on Middlesex 2nd XI at Radlett in the Second XI Championship
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