Hampshire duo thwart Bears

McKenzie: Carried his bat on the final day

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Neil McKenzie and Michael Carberry both struck centuries as Hampshire dashed Warwickshire's title hopes on the final day of the season at the Rose Bowl.

The Bears needed just seven wickets on the final day to clinch the Division One title, however McKenzie (115no) and Carberry (111) kept the Warwickshire bowlers at bay to secure a draw for already-relegated Hampshire.

The result, coupled with Lancashire's eight-wicket victory at Somerset, means Ashley Giles' side finished the season in second-place - 11 points behind the Red Rose county.

Resuming day four on 43-3, following-on, Hampshire batted the entire opening session without losing a wicket as Carberry and McKenzie dug in on a placid surface.

The pair took Hampshire past Warwickshire's first-innings total and shared a 182-run stand before Carberry was adjudged lbw to Chris Woakes - much to his dismay.

But McKenzie carried on undeterred, finding useful support from James Vince (33) and Sean Ervine (20) along the way.

Left-arm spinner Chris Metters took 5-111, but it was all too little, too late, and the players shook hands with Hampshire on 327-7 - 158 runs ahead.

Day Three

Warwickshire enjoyed another strong day in their bid to win the LV= County Championship crown, forcing Hampshire to follow-on at the Rose Bowl.

A valiant knock of 152 not out from Liam Dawson wasn't quite enough to prevent the hosts from being asked to bat again on day three, with their final first-innings total of 324 also confirming their relegation to Division Two.

Needing 400 to keep their slim survival hopes alive, Hampshire did reach 107-1 and then 184-3 before suffering a middle-order collapse.

Although Jimmy Adams made 33 and James Vince weighed in with 41, Dawson was left to pretty much play a lone hand. The opener carried his bat throughout the innings, facing 267 balls and hitting 10 fours.

A flurry of boundaries from No.10 Danny Briggs (25 from 18 deliveries) threatened to carry Hampshire past the follow-on target in the final session, only for the final two wickets to go down in the same Chris Wright over.

Asked to have another go, Hampshire reached 43-3 by the close - still 126 runs behind a Warwickshire side on course for a seventh county title.

Dawson was unable to repeat his first-innings heroics, Boyd Rankin dismissing him for 17 with a superb short ball, while spinner Chris Metters struck a double blow in the 13th over, getting Adams caught at leg slip before nightwatchman James Tomlinson hit the left-armer straight to mid-off.

Day Two

Warwickshire remain in pole position in the LV= County Championship title race after an arduous day two against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

The Bears turned their overnight 296-3 into 493 all out in the evening session, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, on 107 at the start of the day, eventually falling for a painstaking 171.

Chanderpaul hit 23 fours and three sixes during a 295-ball contribution lasting almost seven hours but Hampshire made regular breakthroughs, seamers Chris Wood (3-87) and Dimitri Mascarenhas (3-52) finishing with three wickets apiece.

Warwickshire's slow going meant they picked up only three of the five available batting bonus points - but know they will definitely win the title if they go on and win the match.

Hampshire openers Jimmy Adams (22no) and Liam Dawson (31no) reached 57-0 in reply by the close to keep alive their side's outside chance of avoiding the drop.

The equation is simple - they must reach 400 in 110 overs to collect maximum batting bonus points, win the match, and hope Worcestershire lose to Durham at Chester-le-Street.

Day One

Centuries from Varun Chopra and Shivnarine Chanderpaul kept Warwickshire's title charge on track on day one against Hampshire.

The Bears, who need 22 points from the fixture to be certain of being crowned Division One champions, cautiously reached the close at the Rose Bowl on 296-3, Chanderpaul finishing unbeaten on 107.

The West Indies international shared in a 188-run partnership for the third wicket with opener Varun Chopra, who made 109 from 270 balls.

The former Essex batsman reached three figures in the LV= County Championship for the first time since April, with his fifth first-class ton including 10 boundaries.

He eventually fell to the second new ball when Dimitri Mascarenhas got a delivery to sneak through between bat and front pad and onto the stumps.

Chopra had earlier put on 71 with William Porterfield (26) after the early loss of Ian Westwood, the latter falling to James Tomlinson for just six.

The Royals need points themselves as they desperately try to avoid the drop, but they did little to help themselves in the field, spilling as many as five catches during Monday's action.

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