Warwickshire v Hampshire LVCC Day 4 June 2nd

Nic Pothas ensures a draw for Hampshire against Warwickshire

ECB Match Report

Hampshire's Nic Pothas blocked Warwickshire's path back to the top of the Division One table with his first LV County Championship century of the season in a drawn match at Edgbaston.

The South Africa-born wicket-keeper made an undefeated 126 from 183 balls - his 13th hundred for the county and 20th of his career - as Hampshire wriggled out of a precarious situation on the last day.

Still eight behind when the fourth wicket fell, they closed on 312 for seven, a lead of 219, after a partnership of 121 in which the ever-positive Pothas overshadowed John Crawley's more conservative progress to 73 in over three hours.
Warwickshire may feel they had top spot in their hands when Jonathan Trott put down a low but straightforward chance at first slip with Crawley on 40 and Hampshire only just in profit after clearing a first-innings deficit of 93.

James Anyon was the unlucky bowler on that occasion and he became the one to suffer when twice conceding four boundaries in an over. Pothas was mainly responsible for the rough treatment and nothing was better than the driving and cutting that took him from 88 to 106 in six balls.

By then Warwickshire's attack was beginning to look jaded and certainly lacking in variety. They have any number of seamers, but off-spinner Alex Loudon and slow left-armer Jim Troughton were not threatening enough to provide a wicket-taking alternative.

Only the morning session was truly hazardous for Hampshire. As early as the third over, Naqaash Tahir got one to bounce and leave Michael Brown (21) for the first of four catches by Tim Ambrose.

The wicket-keeper held two more edges before lunch, the first when Michael Lumb (16) pushed forward to Dale Steyn, comfortably the quickest of Warwickshire's bowlers, and the next when Michael Carberry (two) aimed a lavish drive at a ball from Anyon.

Crawley was steadfast in nursing his side through this phase but Pothas brought a different approach.

Aggressive from the outset, he clouted 10 fours in taking only 55 balls to reach 50 for the fourth time in six championship innings.

Warwickshire finally split the pair when Darren Maddy brought himself on as the fifth seamer and lured Crawley into error in his third over. Ambrose, standing up, held an outside edge as the former England batsman tried to drive outside the off stump.

Warwickshire glimpsed hope with the new ball after tea. Tahir bowled Dimitri Mascarenhas for 20 and had Shane Warne caught at mid-off in the same over, but Chris Tremlett hit 30 out of an unbroken 49 with Pothas, who finished with 22 fours.

Read Simon Walter's Match Report from Edgbaston on The Southern Daily Echo online

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