JAMES Vince is hoping his first LV County Championship hundred as Hampshire’s captain is the start of a successful ‘mini-season’.
Vince, having started the penultimate day against Warwickshire on 34, accelerated to 125 before setting the visitors 444 to win.
It is the first century by a top-six Hampshire batsman this season and has given the county an excellent chance of starting their five-match run-in with a victory as they aim for first division survival.
Vince said: “We haven’t set a number of wins target but we have a mini-season with five games remaining and if we win this and a couple more we’ve got a good chance.
“It’s been a tough year for the batters conditions have not always been ideal so it was nice to make a big contribution.
“Hopefully that will kick start the rest of the year and can get us over the line.
“We hung in there to post a half-decent first-innings total and that gave us a lot more confidence going into our second innings.
“It wasn’t the easiest wicket to bat on but we we knew there is rain around [forecast for today] so we didn’t hang around. Hopefully we can finish it off quickly.”
Hampshire were indebted to five-wicket hauls for Mason Crane (5-35) and Fidel Edwards (5-32) in the strike pair’s first game in tandem, as Warwickshire were bowled out for 125 on Saturday.
“To get five-for in a ten-over spell like Mason did really changed the game from where they’d been at 70-1,” said Vince.
“I hadn’t seen a huge amount of him before he came in but he’s got great control and skills for a young spinner so he’s always got a chance.
“Not many bowl at Fidel’s pace so you always feel something will happen when they’re on.”
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