HAMPSHIRE slipped closer to the LV County Championship’s second division after their last-day gamble against Yorkshire failed to come off.

The five-wicket home defeat against the champions leaves Hampshire needing to win next week’s final game against Notts at Trent Bridge – and for nearest rivals Sussex, who are now 16 points above the drop zone, to lose with fewer bonus points against Yorkshire at Headingley.

Following three rain-affected days, Hampshire forfeited their second innings after Yorkshire declared on their overnight 97-4 – leaving the visitors a target of 304 in 96 overs, writes Simon Walter.

Hampshire lost with 29 balls to spare, but hopes were high when they reduced Yorkshire to 37-3 inside 12 overs.

The excellent Fidel Edwards bowled Alex Lees (5) before Adam Lyth (12) was brilliantly run out by Jimmy Adams and Gary Ballance (17) caught down the leg side.

A fourth-wicket partnership of 190 inside 61 overs between Andrew Gale (125) and Jack Leaning (76) put Yorkshire in control.

Edwards was unfortunate Leaning was not given lbw after trapping the 21 year-old with a reverse-swinging yorker.

But he had him caught behind in his next over and, with 40 still required, Gale pulled Edwards to Adams at deep square-leg in the third over with the second new ball.

There was to be no twist in Hampshire’s favour as Tim Bresnan and Andrew Hodd guided Yorkshire to their target.

But Vince did not regret his gamble, whihc director of cricket Giles White poreferred to descrivbe as "a calculated risk". 

Vince said: “We wanted them to chase a couple more and they wanted a few less but when you’re fighting at the bottom it’s never going to be 100 per cent on your terms.

“We know they’re a good side but with all due respect to Bresnan, having him at six made us feel like we had a good chance of winning if we broke the top of the order.

“We didn’t actually bowl that well up front but did the hardest bit with the run out and the burgle down the leg side.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t break that partnership in the middle but with our bowlers fresh we thought we could win and if we had done it would have made a big difference.We’d be going to Notts next week with it in our own hands.”

Hampshire had chances, notably when Liam Dawson dropped Gale at second slip on 35 off home debutant Ryan Stevenson.

“That might have changed the game a little but it’s easy to look back at one part of the day,” added Vince.

Hampshire bowling: Edwards 20-1-74-3, McLaren 21-0-81-0, Berg 10-0-41-1, Stevenson 10-3-26-0, Dawson 25.2-7-63-0, Smith 5-2-12-0.