Hampshire 290 & 244 beat Worcestershire 211 & 127 by 196 runs

Fidel Edwards took three wickets to fire Hampshire to a comprehensive victory in their opening Specsavers County Championship match of the season.

The West Indies fast bowler was handed his county cap before the start of play before taking 3-33, including two wickets in two balls, in a whirlwind morning spell.

Gareth Berg, Brad Wheal, Liam Dawson and Kyle Abbott – the latter celebrating figures of 4-45– also took a wicket each on the final morning as Hampshire went top of division one.

The day began with Hampshire needing seven wickets and Worcestershire requiring 264 runs, a draw appearing a distinctly unlikely result.

The visitors, who had lost three wickets to Kyle Abbott the previous day, had what they hoped was a trump card at the crease in Daryl Mitchell.

Mitchell boasted an average just under 70 against Hampshire, including a double century, and had batted serenely on day three to reach 34.

At the other end Josh Tongue had been dispatched as a nightwatchman for the second time in the match, just three overs into the morning, having done his job in the day three gloom.

Tongue clipped Gareth Berg straight to Brad Wheal at mid-wicket.

Mitchell only managed a single before he departed, pinned on the crease by a Kyle Abbott ball which kept low.

George Rhodes took 35 balls to get off the mark on the seam-friendly pitch, before edging Edwards to Hashim Amla at first slip.

Then Ben Cox's off-stump was sent cartwheeling by Wheal.

Edwards cleaned up the tail when he had Ed Barnard lbw before finding Worcestershire captain Joe Leach’s edge with his next ball.

Australian Travis Head, an Ageas Bowl International Cricket Academy graduate blocked out the hat-trick ball at the start of the next over.

The former Ventnor CC star was marooned on 45 when Steve Magoffin poked Dawson to James Vince at short mid-wicket.

Hampshire are the early Championship leaders after claiming 21 points to Worcestershire's four.