Day One

Sean Ervine (160) and Jimmy Adams (104*) each struck sensational centuries as Hampshire showed their strength on day one of their Specsavers County Championship fixture against Warwickshire at the Utilita Bowl.

Both batsman batted magnificently to notch their first hundreds of the 2017 campaign, the duo also coming together to post a Hampshire fourth-wicket record 263-run partnership to take their side to 294-3 at stumps.

After electing to bat after winning the toss, Hampshire began the innings in difficult fashion with three wickets falling early in the opening session and the score 32-3.

Adams was soon joined at the crease by Ervine and the pair added 52 runs before lunch to even things up heading to the interval.

Ervine was the first to his half-century, reaching the milestone early in the afternoon session.

The left-hander accelerated nicely and soon reached his deserved century, all whilst steering the Hampshire total past 175 alongside Adams, without further loss.

Ervine was well-supported by the opener, with the pair complimenting each other's style of play nicely - Adams acummulating more steadily throughout the day.

The 36-year-old reached his first fifty of the season soon after seeing Ervine celebrate at the other end, that landmark also taking him past 13,000 total first-class runs.

With both batsman making it safely through to tea, the hosts had moved on to 192-3 and following the resumption, the pair continued to look untroubled.

The Hampshire 200 soon arrived, as did the duo's 200-run partnership, and with Warwickshire's bowlers tiring, it looked an ideal opportunity for the total to continue to grow.

The new ball was taken with 16 overs remaining in the day, but proved to be irrelevant in the evening session as Ervine and Adams continued without a scare.

Ervine passed 150 late in the evening session and also moved beyond 11,000 first-class runs in the process as the away-side toiled late in the day.

There was then just three overs remaining when Adams reached his resilient century - his first since September 2015, having scored three 90s across all formats last summer - with the opener raising his bat to a terrific roar from the Utilita Bowl crowd.

Both batsman then reached the close without incident, the mammoth partnership set to resume when play gets back underway tomorrow.

Day Two

Sean Ervine (203) and Jimmy Adams (166) shared a 367-run stand before the Hampshire bowling attack ripped through the Warwickshire batting line-up to end day two at the Utilita Bowl.

The duo continued their partnership to help their side to 515 in the first-innings, before the Hampshire bowling attack reduced the visitors to 49-6 at the close with debutants Matt Salisbury (2-13) and Ian Holland (1-4) claiming the early scalps, before Mason Crane (2-6) claimed two wickets in the evening session's closing overs.

Hampshire began the day on 294-3, and Ervine and Adams picked up where they left off yesterday as the pair accumulated nicely throughout the morning session.

The duo batted with great fluency and with runs flowing, Adams soon reached his 150 with relative ease with the Warwickshire attack still searching for a fourth wicket.

They weren't successful however with a total of 92 runs added without loss in the opening session, Hampshire reaching 386-3 heading into lunch. 

A wicket eventually fell following the interval, Adams caught in the deep to bring an end to a superb innings and fourth-wicket partnership.

However Ervine continued to reach his excellent double-century, a drive into the off-side taking him to the landmark - his second for Hampshire and third in his career.

The all-rounder departed soon after but Holland (32) and Lewis McManus (38) came together well to add 61 for the seventh wicket as Hampshire nudged beyond 500 before the final wickets fell.

With Warwickshire beginning their innings after tea, they soon found themselves a wicket down - Ian Westwood (2) involved in a mix-up in the middle with some good work in the deep from Michael Carberry seeing him dismissed short of his ground.

Salisbury then began his Hampshire debut in style, a peach of a delivery accounting for Sam Hain (1) with his very first delivery for the club.

Ian Bell followed two balls later at the hands of Salisbury again, the seamer bowling beautifully first up.

Holland soon got in on the action too, the right-armer picking up his maiden Championship wicket with a brilliant in-ducker which cleaned up Tim Ambrose (3), to leave Warwickshire in disarray at 22-4.

The away-side would have hoped to make it to the close without further loss, but Crane had other ideas upon being introduced into the attack.

The leg-spinner, who took a five-wicket haul against Somerset last week, followed up with two scalps late in the evening to remove Rikki Clarke (20) and Andrew Umeed (14) before stumps to ensure Hampshire remain firmly in control heading into day three.

Day Three

Hampshire's bowlers looked to set-up a final day victory, as they reduced Warwickshire to 75-2 after enforcing the follow-on on day three of their Specsavers County Championship contest.

After resuming on 49-6 overnight, Warwickshire looked to fight back as Jonathan Trott (101) recorded his second century in as many Championship innings, before the visitors were dismissed for 254 (261 runs behind) just after tea.

Kyle Abbott (2-41 & 1-10) was the pick of the bowlers throughout the day and he finished off the first-innings before Hampshire captain George Bailey enforced the follow-on. Warwickshire soon found themselves in early-innings trouble once again at 9-2 batting again before reaching the close without further loss but still 186 runs adrift of making Hampshire bat again.

Having endured a difficult end to the second day, Warwickshire lost an early wicket to begin day three - Grant Thornton, who appeared as a night-watchman on the previous evening, falling to Abbott with Rilee Rossouw pouching a good catch at first-slip.

Testing spells from the Hampshire bowling attack continued, but Trott alongside Keith Barker (63) ensured just one wicket fell in the opening session.

The duo put on 104 together, with Barker the first to his half-century, however an excellent delivery from Sean Ervine (1-21), bowling off spin, brought an end to the partnership as the left-hander was well-held at first slip.

Mason Crane (3-104) then removed Boyd Rankin (4) cheaply soon after, but an unlikely partnership between Trott and Sukhjit Singh (16*) helped the former reach fifty, before then kicking on to record his century in the afternoon session.

The pair would have hoped to make further in-roads into the Hampshire lead, but when Trott was trapped LBW from Abbott's first ball after tea, Warwickshire still trailed by 261 which allowed the follow-on to be enforced.

21 overs remained in the day as Hampshire looked to press home their advantage again in the second-innings, and it didn't take long for the first wicket to fall.

Abbott became the highest wicket taker in the Championship this season when he notched up his 32nd scalp of the campaign – Ian Westwood (2) on the end of a peach of a delivery outside off stump, and Jimmy Adams catching well at second slip.

Gareth Berg (1-23) snatched the other evening wicket as Andrew Umeed (7) feathered behind to Lewis McManus before Trott (17*) and Ian Bell (47*) came together to record a 66-run stand to see the visitors to the close without further loss.

Day Four

Hampshire secured an emphatic innings victory as they defeated Warwickshire on day four of their Specsavers County Championship contest at the Utilita Bowl.

Kyle Abbott (4-32) and spin twins Mason Crane (2-50) and Sean Ervine (2-1) whipped through the struggling visitors to pull off an excellent victory by an innings and 94 runs.

Ian Bell (68) reached his 99th first class fifty, as he looked the only player at home on a tricky wicket, before he was bowled by Abbott.

Jonathan Trott (23), who had batted all but 13 balls on day three, departed soon after as Crane found turn and bounce to find his outside edge with Ervine taking a good catch at first slip.

Abbott’s golden arm then saw him pin Sam Hain (14) LBW, before Rikki Clarke (0) departed in similar fashion without score.

Gareth Berg (2-42) replaced Abbott at the Pavilion End and had his own success in his second over when he had Tim Ambrose (5) plumb LBW – leaving Warwickshire in dire straits at 131-7.

After the interval, Crane continued to bowl beautifully, a spell that was rewarded when perfectly-flighted googly beat Grant Thornton (9) and wrapped him on the pads.

The rain arrived which saw the players leave the field for 20 minutes but when play resumed, Hampshire took little time in rolling through the tail.

Boyd Rankin (4) was bowled leaving an Ervine delivery on off-stump, before the Warwickshire innings was brough to a close, Ervine pinning Sunny Singh (0) who fell LBW.

The victory was Hampshire's third of the season and George Bailey's side currently sit top of the Specsavers County Championship Division One.