Derek Kenway helped Hampshire avoid an innings defeat with his highest score for nearly two years against Somerset at The Rose Bowl yesterday.

You could not help but feel pleased for the former England Academy batsman, who more than justified manager Paul Terry's faith in him by finishing on 94 not out, six short of his fifth first class Hampshire hundred.

When he was on 31 he was dropped by teenage debutant Gareth Andrew off his own bowling. Otherwise Kenway's marathon innings was chanceless.

He battled for nearly six hours and faced 274 balls ensuring Hampshire did not lose the Frizzell County Championship Division 2 match inside three days. After walking off to a standing ovation last night, he said: "It wasn't easy out there but I've felt I've been playing well this season, so it's been frustrating not to have got the runs. Paul Terry has been great for me but I've needed the time in the middle and I'll sleep well tonight. That's the longest I've batted for a while.Luckily I'm not one to worry too much so I won't think too much about those extra six runs until the morning!"

Kenway's six previous Championship innings this season gave him an aggregate of 46 runs and a highest score of 19 but yesterday's knock was his highest score since he made 166 against Nottinghamshire, the county he nearly joined after a forgettable 2002, at The Rose Bowl in July, 2001.

That century is still the highest score by a Hampshire batsman at The Rose Bowl but Kenway has, on the whole, struggled since the move from Northlands Road.

Before yesterday the Fareham-born 24-year-old's second highest championship score at The Rose Bowl was the unbeaten 29 he made against Sussex last July. He was dropped after that game and did not play in the championship again last season.

Yesterday his confidence was restored against a Somerset attack that included former teammates Simon Francis and Nixon McLean.

Kenway arrived at the crease with John Crawley after Francis and McLean took the last three wickets in the first ten overs of the morning to make their former county bat again. Hampshire were bowled out 30 runs short of the follow on target and 179 adrift of Somerset's first innings 308 but Kenway proved that there was nothing untoward with the wicket.

He reached his first fifty for 12 months with a cover drive, the same shot he used to take Hampshire past the 159 needed to avoid the follow on.

He and Crawley had got off to a slow start. When Crawley edged a regulation chance to Rob Turner in the tenth over of the day, having been softened up by a bouncer the previous ball, it was 10-1.

Crawley looked short of confidence. He was at the crease for 38 minutes and faced 30 balls for his two, but Kenway kept his head as five teammates came and went. Simon Katich became the first of Somerset skipper Michael Burns's three victims within four overs of Crawley's dismissal and Robin Smith had his leg stump removed after making his third fifty of the season, having put on 89 in 33 overs with Kenway. Kenway found another willing partner in Will Kendall, who scored six boundaries in his 33 before he was caught at gully, former teammate McLean's fifth wicket of the match.

The medium pace of Burns did for Nic Pothas and Dimitri Mascarenhas, who edged a low chance to first slip. At stumps Hampshire were 239-6, 60 runs ahead of Somerset's first innings 308 with four wickets in hand.