Day One

Alex Davies continued his run-fuelled start to the Vitality County Championship season with an immense century as Warwickshire had the better of Hampshire on Day One.

New Bears skipper Davies has already totted up 441 runs this season – over 60 per cent of the runs he managed in 2023 – with scores of 36, 256 and on this occasion 149 to lead from the front.

He was partnered with equally high-scoring Rob Yates and Will Rhodes – who are up to 286 and 323 runs this campaign after 69 and 81 at Utilita Bowl.

Warwickshire ended day one on 340 for four - with Liam Dawson's double and a wicket apiece for Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas giving Hampshire something to cheer about.

Hampshire head coach Adi Birrell had forewarned that the pitch had been designed to be identical to the season opener against Lancashire last week – a match that petered out to a draw.

A change in ball from Kookaburra to Dukes had hoped to offer the bowlers more assistance but in fact it only helped the batters score quicker – especially with a short boundary on one side.

Davies’ decision to bat after winning the toss was a no-brainer, proved as such as he put on a clinic of field manipulation and boundary hitting.

He and opening partner Yates tore into Abbott early on – the South African went for 29 in his opening four overs – as the opening stand whizzed past 50 inside 14 overs.

As they raced to 114 by lunch, a similarly massive alliance looked likely. The hosts wouldn’t have been amiss to have checked the maker’s name on the ball.

Yates had reached his fifty in 80 balls, but fell in the second over of the resumption after Abbott changed tact.

The former Test quick had exclusively bowled around the wicket before the interval but afterwards came over, and managed to get the left-hander to nick behind with the ball angling across him.

The breakthrough didn’t spark a collapse as a 116-run partnership made way for a 174-run one.

Davies has replaced Rhodes as captain this season put the pair batted as one against a bowling attack struggling to find a cutting edge.

Davies eased through his half-century in 82 deliveries, and despite being bowled by James Fuller off a no-ball, breezed to a ninth first-class ton in 166 balls.

Other than a swept maximum off Liam Dawson, Rhodes was workmanlike and unmemorable in his batting – but his style simply saw the runs column continue to increase steadily. His half-century took 97 balls.

Davies fell for 149 when edged to James Vince at first slip while attempting to work Dawson to the legside.

A new ball soon after saw Abbas pin Rhodes on the shin for 81 before Ed Barnard was lbw to Dawson to give Hampshire a brighter end to a batting-dominant day - typified by only 22 plays and misses.

Day Two

Liam Dawson claimed his 10th first-class five-wicket haul but Hampshire and Warwickshire’s Vitality County Championship clash slowed to a glacial pace on day two at Utilita Bowl.

Left-arm spinner Dawson had five five-fors this time last year, but after a personal best season with 49 scalps, he now has double that number after chipping away at the Bears on a flat pitch.

His five for 146 stopped Warwickshire at 455 before Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins unhurriedly scored half-centuries in reply.

The duo put on 124 together for the unbroken second wicket to get Hampshire to 140 for one – 315 behind the visitors – at the end of the day.

Warwickshire resumed to find a pitch that had become slow and harder to score quickly on – the rate dropping from 3.5 runs per over on the first day to 3.1 on the second – but equally tricky to find breakthroughs with the ball.

Nightwatchman Danny Briggs was a particular frustration for his former county as he stoutly kept Dan Mousley company for almost an hour, in a 46-run stand.

His wicket, bowled about his legs by good friend Dawson, wasn’t enough to give the hosts more than one bowling bonus point, while Warwickshire fell nine runs short of 400 in their quest for a fourth batting point.

The switch back to Dukes balls hasn’t seen a marked difference to what was seen in the fixture with Lancashire, but Hampshire did get through five balls during their bowling effort as the ball regularly found itself out of shape. Warwickshire also needed to replace their original ball in the 40th over.

Mousley was given a life on 32 when Ben Brown couldn’t stump him quickly enough, but Tom Prest’s leg-side line tactic had him bowled three balls later.

Jacob Bethell got a start before chasing Mohammad Abbas outside off stump only to edge to Brown.

Either side of lunch, Hasan Ali chipped Dawson to mid-on, before Michael Burgess returned from the interval to lose his middle stump to a nip-backer from James Fuller.

Dawson ended the innings when Olly Hannon-Dalby advanced, swung and was castled. Dawson has already bowled 535 balls this season, only Simon Harmer has delivered more – and the Essex man has bowled in all three fixtures.

Hannon-Dalby was rhythmic, accurate and impossible for Ali Orr to get in against. Orr managed one boundary but otherwise was pinned down against the tall seamer for 22 balls before he was lbw to a ball which nipped back.

Gubbins almost followed Orr straight back to the Rod Bransgrove Pavilion but was spilled at second slip, before he and Middleton found a defensive groove.

It was rarely an attractive watch from either batter but none of the seven bowlers used by Warwickshire could find a chink in their defences.

Middleton was the fastest to fifty in 129 balls – the fifth time he had reached the milestone in the Championship since making his debut at the start of last season.

Gubbins followed him there for the 57th time in his first-class career in 104 balls as he and Middleton serenely reached close in the spring sun. Gubbins ended the day on 67 and Middleton on 61.

Day Three

Fletcha Middleton celebrated his maiden Vitality County Championship century but Hampshire and Warwickshire look likely to draw at Utilita Bowl.

Homegrown Middleton, impressive in last season’s Metro Bank One Day Cup, amassed 116, having put on 213 runs for the second wicket with fellow centurion Nick Gubbins.

An afternoon collapse saw Hampshire lose five middle-order wickets for 45, which put Warwickshire on course for a 90-run first-innings lead.

Rob Yates – who now has 296 runs and 11 wickets this season – and opening partner Alex Davies reached 46 without loss by close – a lead of 136.

Middleton’s father Tony had scored his maiden first-class century, against Kent, in this week 34 years ago – he would end that season with 1,238 runs for Hampshire. Fletcha will be hoping to replicate that.

There were plenty of similarities. Kevan James and Simon Hinks were in attendance on both occasions; now commentator and match referee. But most notable was the steeliness about the innings.

Tony’s would see him score 127 runs in 314 balls across just over six hours. Fletcha kept up the family tradition of crease occupation over quick scoring; his eventual 116 came in 329 balls in four minutes shy of seven hours.

For large periods of the morning session the scoreboard seemed to be stuck. Only 10 runs were scored in the first half an hour, with 80 runs spread out before lunch. Middleton and Gubbins are hardly BazBall enthusiasts at the best of times but an idle pitch didn’t help.

Gubbins followed up his two half-centuries against Lancashire last week with a 216-ball century – his 17th of his first-class career and his seventh since arriving at Hampshire two and a half years ago.

After a session of nothingness, best summed up by a funky field of four midwickets, three covers, a man under the helmet on the offside and a slip, things came alive with stomachs full.

Hampshire lost five wickets for 45 runs, in a 103 for six session.

Gubbins fell shortly after lunch for 119 when he yorked himself to a Danny Briggs delivery which then spun out the footholds. A James Fuller experiment to try and boost the run-rate failed as he swished to short third for a nine-ball five.

Amongst the drama, Middleton, a naturally shy man, looked relieved more than ecstatic to reach three figures with a cover drive, and almost needed coaxing into celebrating by proud captain James Vince.

It was a fleeting happy moment for Hampshire before Vince was adjudged caught behind and Tom Prest edged Hassan Ali to second slip – no mean feat on a pitch offering next to no carry for the seamers.

At this point the scorecard looked a curious mix of four single-figure scores and two centuries but Liam Dawson and Ben Brown made things look slightly better with a 41-run stand.

However, Hampshire’s slowness meant they only picked up a single batting bonus point – inexplicable as Utilita Bowl pitches have been partly designed this season to boost that aspect which would underpin a hopeful title tilt. For comparison, Warwickshire reached their first batting point in 67.2 overs, Hampshire in 93.4.

Yates then took over to have Middleton caught bat-pad, before Dawson and Ian Holland turned him to leg slip.

The part-time spinner completed back-to-back four-wicket hauls when Kyle Abbott thumped to midwicket before Briggs wrapped things up when Ben Brown’s leading edge saw him exit for 49. Hampshire were bowled out for 365, before the visitors got through 15 overs to close unharmed.

Day Four

Rob Yates made sure all of Warwickshire’s top three average over 100 after the first three Vitality County Championship fixtures – but his unbeaten 84 couldn’t prevent an inevitable draw with Hampshire.

Yates, opening partner Alex Davies and No.3 Will Rhodes are three of the top four run scorers in Division One so far this season with averages of 123, 120, and 116.

All three attempted to up the run rate in a bid to force a result at Utilita Bowl but eventually, rain won the day and the points were shared.

Warwickshire pick up 13 points to Hampshire’s 10 – with neither side yet to win or lose a game after three rounds.