Kent 94 for four second innings – match drawn

HAMPSHIRE captain Shane Warne did his utmost to tempt and entice Kent into a last day Rose Bowl run chase, but the visitors were having none of it.

Having finished with four for 38 at the start of the day to secure a 48 runs first innings lead after dismissing Kent for 223, Warne instructed his batsmen to go out and play their shots, despite a pitch that made driving hazardous.

But after losing their first three wickets for 15, Hampshire’s middle order came up trumps with some big hitting and quick scoring that allowed Warne to declare just after 2.30pm.

John Crawley was the major contributor scoring 83 from 80 balls including eight fours and a six, but there were cameos from Dimitri Mascarenhas who took two sixes off a Min Patel over and a useful 34 from Dominic Thornely.

Warne called time after 33 overs with his side 176 for six, thus leaving Kent 48 overs to chase 225 for victory at the rate of 4.6 an over.

David Fulton, still smarting from Warne’s scathing criticism of his run-chase deal with Nottinghamshire last summer, took up the chase with gusto in reaching 18 in no time at all, but you sensed he was the only Kent batsman who truly believed in the pursuit.

With Warne able to bowl into leg-stump rough and crowd the bat it was always likely to be a tough asking rate and a difficult task, and so it proved.

Fulton was first to go, playing back to one from Sean Ervine that he might have pushed forward to. As it was, it nipped back off the seam and through Fulton’s cross bat defensive shot.

Having survived a huge appeal for a catch at the wicket when on nought, Rob Key looked a little out of sorts in limping to 17 and was next to go, three overs after tea.

Beaten in the flight by Warne he played too late allowing the ball around his legs and onto middle stump.

In the very next over Matthew Walker chased a wide one from Ervine to nick to the diving Nic Pothas then Martin van Jaarsveld misjudged a Mascarenhas off-cutter to go leg before at make it 84 for four.

With the light worsening by the minute, it had become more of a case of Kent survival than a victory hunt, but survive they did.

Darren Stevens saw Warne get fingertips to a stinging chance at second slip when on five, but otherwise he and fifth wicket partner Justin Kemp looked relatively untroubled.

They took Kent on to 94 for four when bad light and drizzle stopped play at 5.15pm leaving the skippers to shake hands on a draw.

Scorecard

Hampshire first innings

J H K Adams b Hall 0
M A Carberry b Hall 17
M J Brown c Kemp b Cook 0
J P Crawley c O’Brien b Joseph 43
D J Thornely c O’Brien b Stevens 13
S M Ervine lbw b Stevens 12
N Pothas c Stevens b Joseph 96
A D Mascarenhas c O’Brien b Cook 34
S K Warne c Kemp b Joseph 9
J T A Bruce b Patel 17
B V Taylor not out 0

Extras 30

Total 271 all out after 95.5 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-0, 3-2, 3-38, 4-72, 5-92, 6-108, 7-156, 8-171, 9-246

Bowling: Hall 30-10-62-2, Cook 22-6-62-2, Kemp 5-1-13-0, Joseph 19.5-4-68-3, Stevens 17-5-35-2, Patel 2-0-10-1.

Kent first innings

D P Fulton c Warne b Bruce 0
R W T Key b Taylor 28
M van Jaarsveld c Thornely b Mascarenhas 15
M J Walker c Mascarenhas b Ervine 26
D I Stevens c Warne b Ervine 10
J M Kemp b Warne 16
A J Hall not out 61
N J O’Brien c Bruce b Warne 38
M M Patel lbw b Warne 4
S J Cook lbw b Mascarenhas 4
R H Joseph b Warne 2

Extras 19

Total 223 all out after 81.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-0, 2-27, 3-69, 4-92, 5-95, 6-125, 7-189, 8-207, 9-212

Bowling: Bruce 16-1-49-1, Mascarenhas 16-4-35-2, Taylor 11-2-41-1, Thornely 8-4-17-1, Ervine 15-3-43-2, Warne 15.4-2-38-4.

Hampshire second innings

J H K Adams b Hall 4
M A Carberry c Stevens b Hall 7
M J Brown b Stevens 2
D J Thornely c Fulton b Patel 34
J P Crawley not out 83
D A Mascarenhas b Hall 20
S K Warne st O’Brien b Patel 3
S M Ervine not out 16

Extras 7

Total 176 for six declared after 33 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-6, 2-15, 3-15, 4-108, 5-152, 6-155,

Bowling: Hall 9-3-27-3, Stevens 8-2-31-1, Joseph 2-0-18-0, Cook 6-0-40-0, Patel 9-0-54-2.

Kent second innings

D P Fulton b Ervine 18
R W T Key b Warne 17
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Mascarenhas 24
M J Walker c Pothas b Ervine 1
D I Stevens not out 17
J M Kemp not out 9

Extras 8

Total 94 for four after 34 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-38, 2-50, 3-51, 4-84.

Bowling: Bruce 5-1-9-0, Taylor 6-0-23-0, Ervine 8-1-35-2, Warne 11-4-16-1, Mascarenhas 4-0-9-1.

Bonus points: Hampshire 9pts Kent 8pts.