Hampshire v Kent LVCC Day 3 13th September

Hampshire slumped to a 10-wicket defeat by Kent LVCC title hopes have virtually vanished Lumb top-scored 89 for Hampshire

HAMPSHIRE TITLE HOPES HIT

Hampshire's hopes of winning the Liverpool/Victoria County Championship title virtually vanished on Thursday when they slumped to a 10-wicket defeat by Kent at The Rose Bowl on Hampshire skipper Shane Warne's 38th birthday.

Warne's men now need a cricketing miracle to finish top going into their final Championship match, against Yorkshire at Headingley starting next Wednesday.

Well placed before their penultimate match, Hampshire were outplayed after Kent, who won an important toss, totalled a massive 495.

Hampshire were bowled out for 216 in reply and then, following-on, made 282. An innings defeat was narrowly avoided, but Kent needed just four runs to finish the job.

Resuming their first innings at 186-7 on the third day, Hampshire lost the last three wickets for the addition of 30 runs. Warne and David Balcombe, the overnight batsmen, scored 37 and 29 respectively.

Hampshire started their second innings with an opening stand of 77 between Michael Brown (53) and Michael Carberry (31). Then Michael Lumb, who top-scored with 89, and Chris Benham (32) added 81 for the fourth wicket before Benham was out at 198.

Hampshire then slipped to 216-7 before Balcombe, on his Championship debut, helped Lumb take the score to 270 before Lumb was dismissed 11 runs short of his first Championship century for the county. Balcombe (25) followed without addition.

The Kent spinners took the last eight wickets, James Tredwell leading the way with his second four-wicket haul of the match.

"We messed it up and it's going to cost us dearly," admitted Hampshire manager Paul Terry. "It was a poor performance and the guys are pretty disappointed."

KENT 495: Van Jaarsveld 112, Key 84, Warne 4-134, Balcombe 2-106) and 6-0; HAMPSHIRE 216: Carberry 46, Brown 42, Warne 37, Tredwell 4-46, McLaren 3-96) and 282 (Lumb 89, Brown 53, Tredwell 4-114, Van Jaarsveld 2-17, Denly 2-34, Cook 2-37.

HAMPSHIRE 3 points, KENT 22.