Simon Kerrigan (5-59) took five wickets on the final day at Old Trafford to help Lancashire secure an innings and 94-run victory over Hampshire in the Specsavers County Championship.
Lancashire secured their second Championship victory of the season to send them top of the Division One table, with a game in hand over most other counties in the top flight. The Red Rose entered the final day of this fixture needing to take eight more wickets, after heavy rain washed away two sessions of play yesterday to aid Hampshire in their cause to salvage a draw.
With a vastly-improved weather forecast, Hampshire had to bat the entire final day to avoid an innings defeat, after being bowled out for 109 in their first innings. Several Hampshire batsmen tried to dig in and resist temptation, but Kerrigan proved to be far too good and soon enough the visitors were bowled out for 253 in the afternoon session on Day Four.
James Anderson (3-29) also played a key role for Lancashire in his final game for the Club before leaving for international duties, claiming three wickets including the early scalp of England hopeful, James Vince, to get the hosts moving on their way to a crucial victory.
The England fast bowler had made a habit of dealing early blows to Hampshire's batting card in this match and he made a vital breakthrough when he had Vince caught at short extra cover for 47, after he and Will Smith had added 55 runs for the third wicket, a patient partnership that had frustrated Lancashire until Anderson found the all-important breakthrough.
Smith proved to offer the most resistance to Lancashire's victory bid, occupying the crease for more than four hours with a stoic approach that left the Red Rose bowlers scratching their heads for long periods. The early signs of spin in this match from Mason Crane suggested that Kerrigan would play an instrumental role for Lancashire and the left-arm spinner went on to seal a vital win for his side, finishing with figures of 5-59.
First, he had Liam Dawson (18) caught at short gully after the Hampshire all rounder had prodded forward, inviting an edge to Steven Croft at 125/4. The visitors avoided any further scares before lunch, but critical breakthroughs in the morning session ensured that it would be a long and hard task for Hampshire.
The visitors entered the interval on 151/4, still needing 196 runs to make Lancashire bat again and it was clear that their chances of avoiding defeat would rest heavily on the shoulders of Smith, who had continued to apply courage even after the early loss of the Hampshire captain.
With the new ball available freshly after the lunch interval, pace came back into the attack and it was Kyle Jarvis (1-44) who collected the next important wicket. Smith fell lbw for 45 off 203 balls, with Jarvis striking in the second over with the new ball after lunch, as the Zimbabwean paceman dealt a crucial blow.
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| Will Smith batted for over four hours in Hampshire's second innings. |
Having top-scored with 32 in Hampshire's first innings, wicketkeeper batsman Adam Wheater showed tremendous resolve, applying determination despite the regular wickets that were falling around him. Wheater went on to make 47 runs in 116 balls, as he managed to negate tricky spells from Anderson and a wicketless Neil Wagner.
Had there been another Wheater at the other end, Hampshire would have certainly been able to take the game into the final session, but the lower-order batsmen were not capable of sustaining the task ahead of them. Kerrigan came back into the attack with plenty of fielders around the bat and sure enough he forced a breakthrough for Lancashire, getting a flatter and quicker ball to skid on and pin Wheater plumb lbw on the crease, resigning Hampshire to an almost-certain defeat.
Hampshire went on to lose their final five wickets for 48 runs, with Kerrigan proving decisive in the second innings. Ryan McLaren (15) was next to fall, pushing forward at the ball and edging to Anderson at slip off Kerrigan, who claimed his third wicket of the innings.
This brought Tino Best to the crease, a cricketer who - with the best will in the world - does not understand what it means to survive a session and resist the urge to play attacking strokes. This was typified when the West Indies fast bowler hit the third ball of his innings over the fence, smashing Kerrigan for six.
The Lancashire fielders watched on with excitement, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Best would make a mistake and sure enough he did, as he was trapped lbw by Liam Livingstone (1-19), who collected his first wicket for Lancashire, with a certain defeat beckoning for the visitors. Spin continued to be the best route for the Red Rose county, with Kerrigan earning his fourth victim to leave Hampshire one wicket shy of an innings defeat.
On the day after his 27th birthday, the left-arm spinner gave a timely reminder that he is one of the leading spin bowlers in the country, forcing Gareth Andrew (21) to tickle the ball to Haseeb Hameed at short leg, who held on to the catch to leave Hampshire in disarray at 246/9.
With the umpires agreeing to take an extra half hour, delaying the tea interval, Hampshire had given up all hope and Kerrigan took advantage by claiming his 12th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. He wrapped up the innings and the match when Crane (3) top-edged to Livingstone, handing Lancashire a thoroughly deserved victory and one that sent them temporarily top of the table.
After being bowled out for 109 in their first innings, Hampshire nearly avoided a certain defeat, courtesy of the brilliant determination shown by Vince, Smith and Wheater and the large amount of rain that fell yesterday afternoon, but it is very rare that sides are dismantled cheaply in their first innings and go on to save the draw.
Having made a tremendous return to Division One, Lancashire will continue their four-day campaign against Durham at Chester-le-Street, with the match starting on Sunday May 15.
Specsavers County Championship points: Lancashire 23, Hampshire 1.
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