Hampshire first innings: 186 for 8 after 72 overs

ONLY 43 overs were bowled yet Kent still took four Hampshire wickets to leave the hosts rocking on 186 for eight at the mid-way point of a rain-ruined game at the Rose Bowl.

The players arrived at the West End venue near Southampton at 10am to find the groundstaff using hot-air dryers directly on the pitch after torrential overnight rain crept under the covers to soak the popping crease at the northern end of the ground.

With a sodden outfield to boot, umpires John Steele and John Holder had no alternative but to rule out morning play and only the tremendous efforts of the groundstaff ensured there would be some cricket by 3.30pm.

Resuming on their overnight score of 72 for four, Hampshire limped on as four of Kent's five bowlers claimed two wickets apiece.

It was the golden arm of Darren Stevens, one of the few bowlers able to bowl from the rain-soaked end, who made the first breakthrough, trapping the dangerous Sean Ervine leg before for 12 in the third over of the day.

Former England bat John Crawley was the next to go, his 43 over three hours was testament to the difficulty of the pitch, before Robbie Joseph nipped one away to brush the outside edge and give Niall O’Brien a regulation catch.

In stark contrast Dimitri Mascarenhas marched in to spank 37 from 34 balls, including there boundaries in an over, before his attacking intent proved his undoing as a loose back-foot drive against Simon Cook flew through to O’Brien.

The ever-dangerous Shane Warne clubbed one four but looked ill at ease on this seaming pitch and it came as no surprise when he nicked an attempted drive against Joseph to give Justin Kemp a throat-high catch at slip.

Wicketkeeper Nic Pothas, the only batsman to blend defence with attack in the right measure, saw it through to stumps in reaching an unbeaten 37 that at least gave Hampshire hope of securing their first batting bonus point.

Scorecard

J H K Adams b Hall 0M A Carberry b Hall 17
M J Brown c Kemp b Cook 0
J P Crawley c O’Brien b Joseph 43
D J Thornley c O’Brien b Stevens 13
S M Ervine lbw b Stevens 12
N Pothas not out 39
A D Mascarenhas c O’Brien b Cook 34
S K Warne c Kemp b Joseph 9
J T A Bruce not out 4

Extras 15

Total 186 for eight after 72 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-0, 3-2, 3-38, 4-72, 5-92, 6-108, 7-156, 8-171,

Bowling: Hall 22-7-44-2, Cook 16-6-44-2, Kemp 4-1-12-0, Joseph 14-3-51-2, Stevens 14-5-22-2.

Bonus points: Kent 2pts.

* Mark Pennell's day three report will appear here at the close of play this evening.