Bountiful day for Davies

(ECB Match Report)

Mark Davies took a career-best 8-24 as Durham closed in on their sixth win of the season and a possible place at the top of the LV County Championship.

On another day of batting agony, 19 wickets fell at picturesque May's Bounty to add to the 16 which fell with alarming rapidity on the first day.

Hampshire's return to the club ground at Basingstoke for the first time in eight years is threatening to turn into a disaster.

Left 240, the highest total of the match, to win, Hampshire ended another hectic day for the scoreboard operators at 108 for five.

It means the hosts still need an unlikely 132 runs on a wicket which has provided constant help to the seam bowlers.

Hampshire's slim hopes of frustrating Durham rest with the undefeated sixth-wicket pair of Sean Ervine and Liam Dawson, who have so far put on 31 - one of the match's more prolific partnerships.

Davies, who had taken five of Hampshire's six first innings wickets overnight, completed his one-match demolition by taking three of the last four in quick time.

Callum Thorp dismissed Dawson first ball and then Davies wrapped up the Hampshire tail by sending back David Balcombe, Imran Tahir and defiant captain Dimitri Mascarenhas.

Hampshire were all out for 96, their lowest total anywhere for eight years as Davies celebrated his remarkable figures.

This meant Durham led by 60 - although they found batting no easier when it was their turn to go in again.

Australian opener Michael Di Venuto was out for the second time without scoring to left-arm swing-bowler James Tomlinson, who found conditions ideal for his type of bowling.

Tomlinson went through the Durham batting as easily as Davies had done for Hampshire's to finish with 5-62.

Tomlinson's victims were Will Smith, still the only player to score more than 50 in the match, Phil Mustard, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Thorp.

Spinner Tahir was also hard to play and took 4-53, removing Dale Benkenstein, Liam Plunkett, Graham Onions and last man Paul Wiseman.

This left Hampshire needing a miracle on a wicket still helping the bowlers if they were to complete a double over Durham - having beaten them by five runs earlier in the season at the Riverside.

Thorp began the procession by having James Adams lbw and Davies struck again when he had Michael Carberry caught behind for 15.

Thorp dismissed Michael Lumb to a leg before decision at 34 and Chris Benham followed at 53, caught behind off Thorp.

Nic Pothas was fifth out at 55 to give spin-bowler Wiseman his first wicket of the innings before Ervine and Dawson made sure there were no more alarms to see Hampshire through to the close. . 

Scorecard

Tickets are available on the gate for Day 3 to witness the final day of Hampshire's historic return to Mays Bounty at Basingstoke.  Car Parking is available at £7 per vehicle at the ground.

Tickets are priced £15 for Adults, £12 for Senior/Student and £5 Under 16’s.

Gates open at 9:30 and the match starts on Day at 11:00am

Directions to Mays Bounty are available on the link below on Basingstoke Sports and Social Club website:

Basingstoke Sports and Social Club - Location  

Tomlinson claimed 5 wickets (Photo Barry Zee)

 Lumb jumps over a smash by Onions (Photo - Barry Zee)

Pothas fifth out with 55 at Mays Bounty (Photo - Barry Zee) 

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