Lumb propels Hampshire to safety

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Edgbaston
Warwickshire v Hampshire
22-25 April
CLOSE OF PLAY, FINAL DAY: Match Drawn. Hants 379 and 301-6dec, Warwicks 630-8dec(Warks 12 pts, Hants 9pts)

Warwickshire v Hampshire match scorecard

Nic Pothas did his average no harm with 187 unbeaten runs in the match

Michael Lumb made amends for a bad start to his County Championship season by leading Hampshire to a draw against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Having bagged a pair in last week's win over Worcestershire, Lumb was dropped, only to be recalled as a replacement when Marcus North pulled out mid-match.

And the reprieved Lumb seized his unexpected chance to direct a last-day match-saving operation, hitting 84.

Along with Nic Pothas' unbeaten 65, it helped Hampshire to safety on 301-6.

Needing 251 to make the Bears bat again after their massive 630-8 dec, Hampshire had knocked off 60 of those in some comfort on Friday.

And hopes of a Bears victory looked a long shot when Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams extended their opening partnership to 95.

But former British Universities captain Adams instigated a bout of uncertainty when caught at deep square leg off left-arm spinner Ant Botha, who then accounted for John Crawley and Carberry.

Both edged to Rikki Clarke at slip, Carberry for 65, his second half century of the match against an attack he has often relished in the past.

And Clarke held his third slip catch when Sean Ervine drove at paceman Boyd Rankin after lunch to leave the visitors in a spot of bother on 177-4.

Ervine had survived two chances off Botha in reaching 21. And, crucially, Pothas was missed twice in the formative period of his match-saving partnership of 87 with Lumb.

Substitute Navdeep Poonia spilled a firm drive to short mid-off before Pothas had scored. And he escaped again on 25 when an edge off Darren Maddy's fourth ball eluded Jonathan Trott at slip.

But that proved the stage for Lumb, only playing as replacement when Australian North pulled out of the match on Thursday to join his national squad for a one-day international tournament against Pakistan in Dubai.

That had meant a call-up for Lumb from the Rose Bowl, where he had fallen for another duck in a second XI friendly against Sussex.

But this time the 29-year-old left-hander found some form to steady his side when they were in danger of collapsing.

Despite his efforts, Hampshire were still nine runs behind at tea and only marginally in profit when Warwickshire took the second new ball.

That was when Lumb, after hitting nine fours in just over three hours, played on, attempting to pull Rankin.

Botha was straight back in the attack to win an lbw decision against Liam Dawson. And, at 279-6, the game was back in the balance.

But Pothas, having anchored the first innings with an undefeated 122, and Dominic Cork held off Botha, the spinner completing 42 overs to finish with 4-103.