Hampshire Fall To Difficult Four-Day Defeat

Words: Press Association

Hampshire fell to a difficult innings defeat on day four of their Specsavers County Championship match against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.

Hampshire were bowled out for 168 in their second innings that left Lancashire the victors by an innings and 30 runs.

Seventy minutes’ play was lost to rain in the first session of the day but the home bowlers still took two wickets to leave the visitors on the brink of defeat at lunch.

Hampshire were 81-7 when the players came in with Lewis McManus unbeaten on 12 and Gareth Berg on seven .

The visitors therefore needed a distinctly improbable 117 to make Lancashire bat again while the home side required three wickets to complete the win which eventually hoisted them up to second in the table, 14 points behind leaders Essex.    

The first wicket to fall was that of nightwatchman, Matt Salisbury, who edged Jimmy Anderson’s fifth ball of the day to Dane Vilas at first slip. The rain set in a quarter of an hour later but soon after the 12.30 resumption Sean Ervine inside-edged Jarvis onto his leg stump and departed for 13.

In the afternoon session McLaren’s fourth leg before appeal in a few overs against Lewis McManus eventually elicited a favourable response from Paul Baldwin when the batsman was on 18 and in his next over the medium-quick bowler had Kyle Abbott caught down the leg side for 11 when he gloved a short ball to Alex Davies.

The game ended when Gareth Berg was also caught down the leg side off Jarvis for 49 having hit eight fours in his 71-ball innings and defied the Lancashire bowlers for 98 minutes. Anderson finished with 4-20 from 15 overs, while McLaren returned figures of 3-49 and McLaren, 3-41.