Thrilling draw at Old Trafford

Hampshire settle for nine points

Last updated: 25th July 2008

Chris Benham

Benham: Gritty knock

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LV County Championship - Division One
Old Trafford - Day Four
Lancashire 357 (P J Horton 66, L Vincent 58, F du Plessis 57, S G Law 51, Imran Tahir 5-123) & 155 (Imran Tahir 7-66) v Hampshire 288 (C C Benham 89, M J Brown 76) & 215-7 (C C Benham 64)

Lancashire (11pts) drew with Hampshire (9pts)

Hampshire moved off the bottom of the table but came up just short of victory as the sides shared a thrilling draw.

Lancashire were bowled out in the morning for 155 with leg-spinner Imran Tahir claiming seven for 66 on his debut, leaving the visitors requiring 225 from 71 overs.

However, the chase got off to the worst possible start when Glen Chapple removed both Michael Brown and John Crawley for a duck with just 17 on the board.

And Hampshire slipped further into trouble when Sean Irvine was caught behind off dominic Cork just after lunch with only eight added to the score.

Gary Keedy then had Michael Lumb caught on the sweep by Stuart Law as the visitors slumped to 63-4, but Nic Pothas and Chris Benham gave Hampshire renewed hope with a gritty partnership.

The pair added 89 for the fifth wicket as they went into tea requiring a further 108 from 32 overs, but Keedy had Pothas (35) caught behind before Benham fell for 64, Sajid Mahmood ending his 139-ball knock with the batsman cutting straight to point.

Chris Tremlett helped claim nine off one Chapple over, edging a four and grabbing four leg-byes, but the visitors ultimately decided to hold on for the draw despite needing 46 off nine overs and 33 off six.

Dimitri Mascarenhas (25 not out) and David Balcombe had a late dart with 22 needed off two and 15 off the last but it was too little too late.

Day Three

Wickets tumbled on Thursday at Old Trafford to leave both Lancashire and Hampshire in with a shout of victory going into the final day.

The Red Rose county bowled Division One's basement boys out for 288 in their first innings to claim a useful lead of 69.

However, the visitors fought back with the ball to put the game in the balance, Imran Tahir claiming 4-48 to leave Lancashire struggling on 121-7 at the close.

The Pakistan leg spinner followed up his five-wicket haul in the first innings by ripping through the top order, Stuart Law and Paul Horton both falling to the overseas signing in quick succession. By the close Lancashire led by just 190.

A dogged fifth-wicket partnership of 44 between Francois Du Plessis and Steven Croft could prove crucial, as could the fact Hampshire, who resumed on 174-3, lost their last seven wickets for 114.

Michael Brown was trapped leg before for 76 to begin the collapse. Chris Benham also failed to build on a solid start overnight to reach three figures when he was dismissed by spinner Gary Keedy for a top score 89.

Day Two

An unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 139 between Michael Brown and Chris Benham kept Hampshire in the hunt against title-chasing Lancashire on day two of their Championship match at Old Trafford.

In reply to the home side's 357 all out, the LV Division One strugglers initially found themselves on 35-3.

But respective unbeaten innings of 75 and 70 from Brown and Benham - the pair together for 51 overs - saw the visitors take the score to 174-3 at stumps.

Although Lancashire missed out on the maximum fifth batting point for passing 400, Francois Du Plessis (57) had earlier made his third half-century of the county season, with Dominic Cork making 35 late on.

With the home side eventually all-out for 357, leg-spinner Imran Tahir completed the 14th five-wicket haul of his career (5-123) with the scalp of Gary Keedy (15).

Hampshire's reply was barely underway when Sajid Mahmood (1-33) removed Sean Ervine in his first over courtesy of a stunning catch by Du Plessis at point.

John Crawley then shouldered arms to Glen Chapple and saw his off-stump hit, before a third-wicket partnership between Brown and Michael Lumb ended when Cork dismissed the latter.

But from 19th over of the innings, Brown and Benham, who is playing only his second game of the year, steered their side to a healthy position.

Brown reached his half-century in watchful style from 142 balls with 11 fours, with Benham later reaching his fifty from 106 balls with seven fours.

Day One

Lancashire made a solid start with three half-centuries in their 261-5 on the first day against Hampshire at Old Trafford.

Paul Horton, Stuart Law and Lou Vincent all hit fifties, although none were able to go on and reach three figures, but it still put Lancashire in a good position after the first day's play.

Horton and Vincent hit a season's best opening partnership for Lancashire this term of 110 before the New Zealander became first-class debutant Imran Tahir's first of four wickets as he went for 58.

Tahir removed Horton shortly afterwards for 66 and Ian Sutcliffe became his third wicket as Lancashire slipped to 158-3 and in danger of a mini-collapse.

Law and Francois Du Plessis combined for 64, with the Australian's fifty coming off 104 balls before he went just a single later.

Pakistani spinner Tahir made it 4-80 by dismissing Stephen Croft meaning Luke Sutton stood together with Du Plessis at the close.