Brown and Benham rescue Hants

7:08pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008

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CLOSE: Hampshire are 174-3 (Brown 75*, Benham 70*) from 70 overs in reply to Lancashire's 357

When Michael Brown was a schoolboy, he dreamed of playing for Lancashire.

A former teammate of England fast bowler James Anderson at Burnley CC, Brown had a poster of John Crawley on his bedroom wall and went on to represent Lancashire's second XI before a lack of opportunities at Old Trafford persuaded him to move to Middlesex.

Since signing for Hampshire four years ago, Brown has steadily established himself as the county's most reliable opening batsman.

The leading run scorer for the last two seasons, Brown continued his fine form at Old Trafford with his highest score against Lancashire to ensure that Hampshire had the better of the second day, by closing on 174-3 in reply to the home side's 357.

Brown received excellent support from the recalled Chris Benham while rescuing Hampshire from a perilous 35-3 with a typically disciplined 75 not out.

He and Benham had put on an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 139 by the close, the highest partnership of the match and Hampshire's biggest of the season behind the 190 between Crawley and Kevin Pietersen against Somerset at Taunton in May.

Brown's composed first Championship fifty against his home county followed the losses of Sean Ervine (2), Crawley (3) and Michael Lumb (9) in the first 18 overs against the new ball.

Ervine, in his first Championship opening role for three years, was out to an outstanding low, one-handed diving catch by Francois du Plessis at backward point after getting a thick edge in the first over from the excellent Sajid Mahmood.

Crawley's poor season continued when he had his off stump knocked back by a Glen Chapple off cutter after shouldering arms to his former Lancashire teammate in the fourth over after tea.

Another big first-innings deficit for Hampshire looked on the cards when Lumb, having faced 44 balls, lost concentration and edged a loose drive against Dominic Cork.

It is hoped Lumb spent the rest of the day taking note of Brown's admirable patience.

Bravery was also amongst the qualities the right-hander displayed during his four-and-a-half hours at the crease.

In the fifth over after tea, Brown ducked into a bouncer from veteran seamer Cork when he was on 45.

After a brief inspection of his helmet, Brown leg-glanced the next delivery for four to equal his highest score against Lancashire (he made 49 against his home county at the Rose Bowl two weeks ago).

And after surviving two Gary Keedy deliveries that beat his outside edge he nudged a single against the slow left armer to reach fifty for the sixth time this season from 142 balls with only his 16th scoring shot.

Brown highlighted his growing confidence with a reverse-sweep against Keedy and survived a huge appeal in attempting another with four overs of the day remaining.

Lancashire seemed convinced that Brown had top edged to Lou Vincent at gully. Brown was resolute and umpire John Steele was having none of it, sure that the ball had only struck the pad.

With Mahmood's reverse-swing a constant threat as the partnership lengthened, Brown did superbly well to dig out a yorker from the England fast bowler in the penultimate over to ensure that Hampshire survived the final session 183 behind with seven wickets still intact.

Benham has replaced the out-of-form Michael Carberry in Hampshire's top order for his second Championship appearance of the season and he responded excellently.

Confident against the short ball, he added fluency to the partnership during his unbeaten 70 (133 balls), which is his first half-century in 15 Championship innings going back to April of last year.

Benham offered only one chance, an edge between wicketkeeper Luke Sutton and first-slip Paul Horton on 65, before playing and missing at Mahmood's next ball.

That escape ensured that Hampshire enjoyed the better of a second day that began with the seamers limiting Lancashire to 357 after the home side had resumed on 261-5. Debutant Imran Tahir (5-123) completed the Lancashire innings with a well-deserved fifth wicket.