6:50pm Friday 30th July 2010
By Simon Walter
DAY TWO: Hampshire are 287-6 (Bates 5*, Cork 8*) in reply to Lancashire's 283
Jimmy Adams showed he is Hampshire's top man in all forms of the game while helping ensure a first-innings lead against Lancashire at The Rose Bowl.
The Friends Provident t20’s leading run scorer made 72 as Hampshire closed the second day of their LV= County Championship match against Lancashire on 287-6, having bowled the visitors out for 283.
Adams is now Hampshire’s top scorer in four-day cricket this season, but it was Dominic Cork who ensured a good start to the day, taking the last two Lancashire wickets to finish with 4-57 against his former county.
Cork ensured there was no resistance from the Lancashire tail after the visitors resumed on 262-8.
The Hampshire captain had Simon Kerrigan caught by Jimmy Adams at third slip and bowled Gary Keedy in successive overs.
Cork now has 28 Championship wickets at just 18.96 for Hampshire this season, a record that makes Lancashire’s controversial decision to release him two years ago look an increasingly poor piece of judgement.
But it was Adams who did more than anyone to ensure Lancashire will begin their second innings in arrears.
Michael Carberry was dismissed for a pair by Glen Chapple in the corresponding fixture two years ago and his Ashes hopes took a blow when he was dimissed for another duck by the veteran seamer, bowled shouldering arms in the first over of Hampshire’s reply.
It was the last thing Carberry needed the day after Eoin Morgan’s maiden Test hundred against Pakistan all but ensured his place in England’s tour party this winter.
But Michael Lumb (48) continued his gradual return to top form, registering his highest Championship score of the season before his second-wicket stand of 117 with Adams ended with a pull against Saj Mahmood to fine leg.
Adams and Neil McKenzie (33) went in quick succession either side of tea, both top edging sweeps against veteran slow left-armer Keedy.
James Vince, fresh from his FP t20 quarter-final heroics, was more circumspect as he readjusted to the more unique demands of the Championship.
He added 76 with Ervine before he was lbw to Steven Croft’s off-spin, attempting a pull shot.
Ervine played with typical elan.
He smashed Keedy for six, the only maximum of the day, over the short mid-wicket boundary during his 77-ball 56.
Ervine was caught at second slip attempting a forcing shot against Chapple five overs after Vince’s departure.
But Michael Bates (5*), batting at seven on his Championship debut, and Cork (8*) ensured there was no further loss while adding a further 16 before the close.
Bates guided Chapple to the third-man boundary to take Hampshire past Lancashire’s total ahead of what should be an intriguing last two days.
Meanwhile, Simon Jones has played two friendlies in as many days for Hampshire seconds as he continues to prepare for the rigours of four-day cricket.
The former England bowler shared a century stand with David Griffiths (56*) in making 51 as Hampshire posted 242-9 against the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.
Then he took 1-25 from eight overs as Hampshire won by 46 runs.
Jones also bowled five wicketless overs in a six-wicket defeat against CCM Academy on the Rose Bowl’s Nursery Ground.
Owen Alsop made 95 not out and shared an unbroken 98-run stand with Griffiths (43*) as Hampshire recovered from 50 for 5 to make 243-7.
But despite off-spinner Wilf Marriott’s 3 for 50, Hampshire lost with 29 balls to spare.
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