Day Three

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Hampshire hit back from last week’s loss to Nottinghamshire in emphatic style with an 89-run Rothesay County Championship win over Warwickshire inside three days at Edgbaston.

Set a target of 310, Warwickshire were all out for 220, unpicked by seamers James Fuller (five for 56) and Kyle Abbott (three for 44 - eight for 91 in the match). Alex Davies (66, 106 balls) and Ethan Bamber (43, 78) offered some resistance but the rest were blown away by a Hampshire side resurgent after their surrender at Trent Bridge.

Hampshire’s second innings had closed in the morning on 203. Beau Webster took four for 57 and Bamber four for 60 but the match was decided by the visitors outbowling their hosts on a pitch which offered encouragement to seamers throughout.

After Hampshire resumed on 159 for six, already 275 ahead, Bamber quickly struck twice when Brad Wheal edged to second slip and Fuller’s middle-stump was sent flying by an inside-edged slog. Abbott pulled Bamber for six in a handy run-a-ball stand of 32 with Toby Albert (43, 85) before Webster had Albert and John Turner caught behind in three balls.

A target of 310 offered an intriguing last chapter to an engrossing match and Warwickshire’s chase began spectacularly. They were 10 for two after three overs after Abbott hit Rob Yates’ off stump, Davies struck his first two balls for four and Tom Latham edged Abbott to wicketkeeper Ben Brown.  

Unfazed by the rocky start, Davies and Sam Hain added 68 in 24 overs. Hain looked in excellent form on his way to 30 (53) but his season’s story so far of getting in then getting out continued when he offered no shot to an Abbott in-ducker and was lbw.

Davies reached a 66-ball half-century but was among the casualties as Fuller unleashed a ferocious spell from the Pavilion End, ripping out three for three in 12 balls. Webster and Davies were trapped in front by balls that kept low, either side of Ed Barnard tickling an outswinger to the keeper.

At 126 for six, Warwickshire needed something special from their lower order on a pitch which had yielded just one half-century in each innings. It was understandably beyond them. Zen Malik hoisted Turner to fine leg. Bamber and Che Simmons fought hard to add 43 in 17 overs before Fuller returned to complete his five-for by removing both. Bamber edged behind, Simmons lofted to long leg and when Turner flattened Olly Hannon-Dalby’s off-stump, Hampshire's reassertion of their qualities was complete.

Day Two

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High-class fast bowling from Kyle Abbott put Hampshire in command against Warwickshire in their Rothesay County Championship tussle at Edgbaston.

Abbott took five for 47, his second five-for in successive games, as Warwickshire were bowled out for 194 to sustain a first innings deficit of 106.

It was superb, pitched up, swing bowling at the head of a strong collective effort from a seam attack against which only Ed Barnard (58, 55 balls) looked comfortable.

Hampshire then leaned hard on Fletcha Middleton’s 76 (124 balls) as they reached 159 for six in their second innings. They lead by 265 overall, a significant advantage on a pitch still assisting the seamers.

Warwickshire resumed on the second morning on 27 for two and swiftly lost both overnight batters.

Nightwatcher Olly Hannon-Dalby edged Abbott to first slip before John Turner struck a crucial blow when Tom Latham, fresh from 184 on his debut last week, fell for just five when he edged to third slip.

On a grey morning, against a swinging ball, batting was tricky. Sam Hain and Beau Webster grafted hard to add 62 in 21 overs, but Hampshire’s seamers sustained the pressure and Abbott removed both just before lunch.

Hain’s dogged 23 (77 balls) was ended by a perfect outswinger. A nifty inswinger brought Webster’s fluent 41 (66) to a close when he inside-edged a drive on to his middle stump.

Barnard, nudging the England selectors in this match with a half-century to follow his four wickets, defied with discipline but without support.

Zen Malik was late on a straight ball from Brad Wheal and Ethan Bamber flicked James Fuller to mid-wicket.

Barnard reached an accomplished 43-ball 50 but then nicked Abbott to wicketkeeper Ben Brown who collected again when Che Simmons edged Turner.

Hampshire’s second innings began in the game’s first sunshine but the ball continued to move around and while Middleton settled, partners came and went.

None of the other top six batters passed 15 as Mark Stoneman edged Hannon-Dalby to first slip, Bamber drew fatal edges from Nick Gubbins and Tom Prest and Webster removed Ben Brown, lbw, and Liam Dawson, caught at second slip, in three balls. 

At 99 for five, Hampshire were in danger of relinquishing their advantage, but Middleton and Toby Albert added 52 in 15 overs to reassert their side’s control.

Albert (29 not out, 52 balls) made important runs for the second time in the match while Middleton reached 50 (71 balls) for the first time in ten attempts this season.

Though he was bowled by Simmons just before the close, on a pitch which examines the batters’ powers of technique and diligence, his work, like Fuller’s in the first innings, was of immense value.

Day One

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Lower-order resistance led by James Fuller lifted Hampshire to 300 all out after their batting fragility had surfaced again on the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship game against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Bowled out twice for under 200 in last week’s defeat to Nottinghamshire, Hampshire this time dipped to 130 for five and 223 for eight before Fuller’s bullish unbeaten half-century (52 not out, 52 balls) marshalled the addition of 77 for the last two wickets.

Ed Barnard took four for 56 and Olly Hannon-Dalby three for 47 for a Warwickshire team full of confidence after their strong start to the season.

They then wobbled themselves, however, as they lost both openers before closing the first day on 27 for two in reply.

Hampshire elected to bat but lost Fletcha Middleton in the fourth over of the day when he edged Hannon-Dalby to second slip and Rob Yates took his 147th catch for Warwickshire.

Mark Stoneman and Nick Gubbins (27 and 71 respectively) gritted out 62 from 24 overs but, with the lunch interval beckoning, that fragility kicked in.

Gubbins edged an outswinger from Beau Webster to wicketkeeper Alex Davies and Tom Prest nicked a firm-footed jab at Barnard.

Hannon-Dalby struck the biggest blow with the 32nd ball after lunch when the obdurate Stoneman (48 off 106 balls) gave Davies his third catch.

Ben Brown followed the pattern of batters getting in then getting out he when dug in for 29 from 56 balls but then dragged a drive at Webster on to his stumps.

At 130 for five, Hampshire were in jeopardy of coming in under 200 again, on a good batting pitch, but Dawson (46 off 84 balls) and Toby Albert applied themselves to add 68 in 19 overs.

Both then perished in the space of ten balls. Dawson edged Barnard high to second slip and Albert flicked Tazeem Ali to mid-wicket to give Yates his 148th and 149th catches for the Bears.

That left the sun-soaked crowd on tenterhooks to see if Yates would get the opportunity to take his 150th catch for Warwickshire.

They didn’t have to wait long before Kyle Abbott drove mightily at Barnard but sliced to second slip when Yates triumphantly seized the ball above his head.

That was 223 for eight and Hampshire appeared well under par but the tail wagged. Former Warwickshire loanee Brad Wheal counter-attacked for a 24-ball 28 before falling lbw, struck on the back pad, to the impressive Barnard.

John Turner, recalled to the side in place of Sonny Baker, helped Fuller add 34 before edging Hannon-Dalby behind.

Warwickshire were left with eight overs to bat during which Hampshire hit back hard. Yates’ day took a downward twist when he was trapped lbw by Abbott and, with 16 balls left in the day, Davies top-edged an inexplicable heave at Wheal and Middleton took an excellent catch running in from deep backward point.