Worcestershire v Hampshire LVCC Day 4 7th September
Warne took 5-68
Warne does the damage
ECB Match Report
A five-wicket haul from Shane Warne enabled Hampshire to keep their LV County Championship title hopes alive with a crushing 294-run win over relegated Worcestershire at Kidderminster.
They wrapped up their fifth victory of the season in 91 minutes on the final day to bounce back strongly from their innings-and-37-run defeat by Surrey at the Rose Bowl last weekend.
Skipper Warne finished with 5-68 to help Hampshire celebrate an impressive victory on only their second championship visit to Kidderminster, which Worcestershire are using as a home venue because of extensive repair work to their severely flood-damaged New Road headquarters.
The hosts, without the services of Ben Smith because of a broken right index finger sustained during the first innings, resumed on 158 for four chasing a notional 532 for victory.
They were unable to add to their tally before Abdul Razzaq was bowled middle stump by Warne for 14.
Debutant Moeen Ali, who was unbeaten on 73 overnight, was snapped up at short-leg off Warne for 77.
The talented youngster hit 12 fours off 140 balls in his highest championship innings since making 68 on two occasions last season while playing for Warwickshire against Nottinghamshire and Durham.
His departure pushed Worcestershire further down the slippery slope to another heavy defeat - their second against Hampshire this summer following a 285-run thrashing at Southampton last month.
Warne hastened their decline with a second slip catch to see off Batty and then struck again shortly afterwards by trapping Ray Price leg before.
Roger Sillence was last to fall to Warne as the overwhelmed hosts subsided to 237 all out, leaving Nadeem Malik unbeaten on a season's best 24. He put on 43 with Sillence, who made 36.
Hampshire captain Shane Warne is delighted with the way his side overcame Worcestershire to put themselves "back in the mix" for a chance to win the LV County Championship Division One title.
He said: "I thought we played pretty well throughout the game. The wicket was excellent.
"It had something in it for the quicks and it had something in it for the batsmen once you got in.
"We scored 370 runs in just under two sessions and I was pleased with the way we batted."
Warne heaped praise on left-handed opener Michael Carberry, who scored two centuries in the one-sided match.
"He played just fantastic and hopefully all our batters can finish off on a high as we are now back in the mix," he said.
Warne was also happy with his own performance during his comeback game after tearing a rib muscle.
He said: "I didn't really want to bowl in the first innings, but the way it went with the wicket I thought I'd see how it would go.
“I was nowhere near 100 per cent and I didn't bowl that well, but it was good to see how it would feel.
"But the last couple of days it has slowly got better and this morning was the first day I woke up without any stiffness, so hopefully the tear is nearly healed."
Hampshire are bidding for their first title since 1973 and have a home game against Kent starting at 11:00am on Tuesday 11th September before finishing the season with a trip to face Yorkshire at Headingley.
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