Mohammad Abbas returned match numbers of 9-107 for Hampshire
| LV= County Championship Division One, Ageas Bowl (Day Four) |
| Hampshire 342 & 204: donald 89; Amir 3-33, Higgins 3-41 |
| Gloucestershire 179 & 280: Scott 77, Hammond 67; Abbas 3-62 |
| Hampshire (22 points) beat Gloucestershire (3 points) by 87 runs |
| scorecard |
Hampshire kept up the pace in the race for the County Championship title as they patiently secured an 87-round win over Gloucestershire.
Mohammad Abbas followed his first six-wicket draw at 3-62 from the first inning while Liam Dawson and James Fuller each took two wickets as they clinched a final session win in Division One.
The half-century of George Scott and Miles Hammond had given Gloucestershire hope of chasing 368 and a first win of the season, but the arrival of the second new ball diminished their chances.
Hampshire moved nine points behind early leaders Surrey on 21 points, while Gloucestershire escaped the last three on their bonus three points.
The hosts started the day with eight wickets while Gloucestershire needed a further 257 runs in what would have been the second biggest chase in their history.
In the morning session, Gloucestershire scored 70 runs for losing just one wicket, with the required rate still under three runs per over.
George Scott was the one who left after dancing down the track and hitting down the middle to set a personal best of 77.
Meanwhile, Hammond has chalked up his third half-century in as many games in 150 mostly quiet deliveries.
This Ageas Bowl pitch consistently supported new balls throughout the match, with nine wickets falling within the first 10 overs in which they were taken, and Hampshire were therefore looking forward to a second cherry just after lunch.
Ian Holland flying Graeme van Buuren’s middle stump in the 77th over was an added bonus and three wickets fell in 10 overs as James Vince unpacked the new ball to swing the balance firmly towards Hampshire.
Nine balls in, Hammond fell to Keith Barker when he missed a straight and was pinned in front.
Abbas took his match tally to nine wickets with Tom Lace and Dominic Goodman’s quickfire double – the former cutting mid-wicket while the latter tickled a delivery behind – and Ryan Higgins was held off for 25 when he tried to to cut.
Last season, Gloucestershire had frustrated Hampshire with an epic block-a-thon on the final day to earn a tie with nine losses – with Goodman’s 48-ball nine saving the game.
But this time there was not to be a similar mugging as Mohammad Amir was brilliantly caught by a diving Aneurin Donald after running backwards out of cover and Ajeet Dale was choked down the leg – both for Fuller – for the highly entertaining Finish competition with 25 overs to spare.
Report provided by the ECB Reporters Network.
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