Lancs hit back after Ervine's ton

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Rose Bowl:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Hampshire 337, Lancashire 106-1 (Hants 3pts, Lancs 3pts)
6-9 August 2009

Live commentary

Match scorecard

Sean Ervine hit his second County Championship century of the season

Sean Ervine hit 114 and James Adams also completed his century as Hampshire piled up 337 on the second day against Lancashire at The Rose Bowl.

But, Lancashire had hit back by the close on 106-1 to give hopes that they might yet run up a big enough total to put them in a winning position.

Kyle Hogg and Oliver Newby took four wickets apiece for the visitors.

Then openers Tom Smith (44no) and Paul Horton (34) led the resistance as Lancs finished the day 231 runs adrift.

Hampshire resumed after a rain-hit first day on 144-2 and soon lost James Vince and Liam Dawson to catches at the wicket off Newby.

Adams, 82 overnight, then reached his second century of the summer before Newby struck again to have him leg before.

Ervine then added 69 with Dimitri Mascarenhas until the Hampshire captain edged Hogg to the wicketkeeper.

And, there was a steady procession of wickets tumbling soon afterwards as Tom Burrows, David Griffiths and Imran Tahir all fell without scoring to Newby, Gary Keedy and Tom Smith.

That left relegation-fighting Hampshire on 287-9. And, at that stage, Ervine was unbeaten on 70, his second Championship century of the summer looking a long way off.

But last man James Tomlinson, dropped before he had scored at first slip by Horton off Smith, offered brave support.

And, after lifting Smith over mid-wicket for six to bring up the Hampshire 300 before reverse sweeping Keedy for another, Ervine pushed on for his century.

When Lancashire batted they also found no alarms in the wicket, as Horton and Smith put on 62 in 22 overs.

Horton had made 34 when he attempted to hook a bouncer from Griffiths and Tahir clutched the catch low down running in from long leg, but Smith and Mal Loye saw Lancashire through to stumps.

Lancashire paceman Oliver Newby told BBC Radio Manchester:

"We knew it was going to be tough, but I just tried to keep it tight, plug away and keep it in decent areas.

"We nearly wrapped up it up even quicker but Sean Ervine batted well and we had to fight for the last wicket.

"We thought if we can get them out for 350 then we're in it. And, with the forecast good for tomorrow, we've got the chance to build on that.

"If we can bat well and get past them, we've got good chance of getting maximum points."