JIMMY Adams rewrote the record books with a magnificent double century as Hampshire continued their impressive start to the season. Adams,151 overnight, hit the highest post-war score by a Hampshire captain, an unbeaten 219 (382 balls, 29 fours), before declaring at 500-9 against Worcestershire at The Ageas Bowl.
Worcestershire reached 159-5 at stumps, still requiring another 191 to avoid the follow-on, with David Balcombe (2-44) taking his first wickets of the season, having bowled well without any reward in the rain-affected draw against Leicestershire a fortnight ago.
Hampshire would surely have won their first game of the season had the final day not been washed out.
But they are on course to complete a comfortable win against Worcestershire, possibly even by the end of tomorrow.
The third double hundred of Adams’ career - his first at the Ageas Bowl – was the highest score by a Hampshire captain since Dick Moore made the county’s all-time highest individual score - 316 against Warwickshire at Bournemouth in 1937.
“Jimmy was fantastic and we backed it up with the ball,” said Balcombe.”There’s less of a green tinge to the pitch, different to what we’ve played on in the last 12-18 months, and it’s harder work than it was against Leicestershire.
“But it’s a good cricket wicket, the ball’s swinging around – and it was nice to get off the mark!
“There’s a lot of hard graft ahead, the pitch is getting flat, the ball’s getting slightly softer and we’ve got another 32 overs till we get the second new ball.
“We’ve got to try and bowl them out for under the follow-on and go again.”
After Hampshire resumed the second day on 367-6, Chris Wood made a useful 41 (88 balls) before he and Balcombe, trapped lbw by a Richard Jones yorker, departed in successive overs.
But Danny Briggs (25) accompanied Adams to his double hundred before he was bowled by the off-spin of Moeen Ali (4-103).
Worcestershire buckled under the weight of scoreboard pressure against Hampshire’s in-form attack.
Four of the five wickets to fall were nicks against the swinging ball, with Liam Dawson taking two catches at second slip, Sean Ervine one at first and Briggs holding on in the gully as left-armers James Tomlinson and Wood continued their encouraging starts to the LV= County Championship campaign.
All being well, Hampshire will soon be enforcing the follow-on for the second time in as many matches.
“It’s nice to be in this position, runs on the board is something we’ve spoken about this season and something we didn’t do enough of last year,” added Balcombe. “We got saved by the rain with Leicestershire under immense pressure and we’re doing the same again."
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