Mascarenhas bounces back from World Twenty20 hurt (From Daily Echo)

Mascarenhas bounces back from World Twenty20 hurt

7:05pm Friday 19th June 2009 in

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Dimitri Mascarenhas eased some of his World Twenty20 woe with a magnificent century to put Hampshire on top in their LV County Championship match against Lancashire at Liverpool.

The Hampshire captain produced a stunning counter attack to record 108 off 129 balls, including 14 fours and two sixes, to propel his side to a first-innings total of 345 in reply to the home side's 208.

It was Mascarenhas’s eight first-class hundred, all of which have been for Hampshire, and his first for three years.

But few have been made in such difficult circumstances.

Lancashire wiped out the first-innings deficit of 137 with the help of 55 from Mal Loye and Andrew Flintoff's confident unbeaten 36, before closing on 144-2.

But there was no doubt that Mascarenhas’s effort was the most eye-catching.

After coming to the crease at 157-5, he flayed the likes of Sajid Mahmood, Glen Chapple and Gary Keedy to all parts of the Aigburth ground.

But he was indebted to his wicketkeeper Nic Pothas for a combative 86 (112 balls) that ensured the visitors of a first-innings lead.

Pothas had shared a fifth-wicket stand of 86 with 18-year-old prodigy James Vince (46) to negate any threat the Lancashire bowlers posed early in the day.

The 35-year-old celebrated the recent signing of a new two-year contract extension at the Rose Bowl with his fifth score of fifty or more this season.

Chapple had Vince caught behind in the 13th over of the day, after Hampshire resumed on 124-4.

After sharing 55 for the sixth wicket with Mascarenhas, Pothas was bowled by Kyle Hogg Then Flintoff (2-60) got two wickets in two balls in his second over after lunch. His former county colleague Dominic Cork was caught at first slip by Paul Horton and Chris Tremlett was pouched by Steven Croft at short-leg.

When Tremlett went at 235-8, Mascarenhas was on 31 and was desperate to protect James Tomlinson.

He refused singles at the start of the over and pinched them at the end, scything at anything and everything in between. He and Tomlinson shared 78 for the ninth wicket and Mascarenhas hit 69 of them.

Imran Tahir replaced Tomlinson, caught behind by Luke Sutton off the bowling of Chapple, and proceeded to whack 24 off nine balls before Mascarenhas top edged Mahmood to end the innings.

Horton (39) and Loye then shared Lancashire's highest opening partnership of the Championship season before the former was trapped lbw by Tremlett with the score on 83.

Flintoff survived a caught-and-bowled chance for leg-spinner Tahir before hitting Tomlinson for two fours in an over to record his season's best.

Loye was trapped lbw by Tahir with six overs left in the day, which ended with Lancashire effectively 7-2 and a draw the most likely result.