Hampshire fought back strongly in the final session at Old Trafford to set up an intriguing last day in their County Championship game with Lancashire.

Hampshire were bowled out for 288 as Lancashire gained a first-innings lead of 69, Sajid Mahmood and Dominic Cork taking three wickets for the hosts.

Dmitri Mascarenhas (49) ensured the Hampshire tail wagged and they soon restricted Lancashire to 54-4.

Imran Tahir took 4-48 as Lancashire finished on 121-7, a lead of 190.

Hampshire resumed their first innings on 174-3 but lost quick wickets as Lancashire gained the upper hand.

Cork struck twice in the sixth over of the day, Michael Brown trapped lbw for 76 and then Nic Pothas caught at second slip.

Chris Benham fell 11 short of a century when he was caught by Stuart Law off Gary Keedy and then Cork took a fine catch at mid-off to hand the spinner the wicket of Chris Tremlett.

Mascarenhas hit five fours in his 107-ball knock but Mahmood returned to take his wicket and then clean bowled Tahir as Hampshire's innings fell apart.

But the Rose Bowl side bounced back brilliantly and David Balcombe had Lou Vincent caught behind for two before Tremlett sneaked one through Iain Sutcliffe's defences to leave Lancashire on 16-2.

Law (22) and Paul Horton (25) attemped a recovery but Tahir got rid of both men, the Australian caught by Brown and Horton clean bowled the ball before tea.

Francois Du Plessis (31) and Steven Croft put on 44 before Tahir caught and bowled the South African and then Croft shouldered arms to Balcombe.

Tahir completed fine figures of 4-48 from his 19 overs by bowling Chapple to leave the game finely poised.