Hampshire v Durham LVCC Day 1 27th August at Mays Bounty

Tomlinson appeals (Photo - jasonpix.co.uk)

Davies does the damage

(ECB Match Report)

Mark Davies swung control of Durham's LV County Championship match against Hampshire back in his side's favour with a dramatic late spell.

Hampshire lost four wickets without adding a run and closed in desperate trouble at 65 for six on a day of tumbling wickets in the Division One encounter at Basingstoke.

Sixteen wickets fell on the opening day of the first match to be staged at the tiny May's Bounty Ground in eight years.

Durham captain Dale Benkenstein decided to bat first after winning the toss and must have wished he had not as Durham were shot out for a meagre 156 in 57 overs.

Benkenstein's opposite number, Dimitri Mascarenhas, took full advantage of the seaming conditions to take 5-46, with only Will Smith managing a decent score.

Smith struck 70, which included eight boundaries, before he was last out as third-placed Durham missed vital batting bonus points in their quest for the title.

They began the day only 10 points behind top-of-the-table Somerset and, importantly, with a game in hand, but were in trouble from the moment they lost Australian opener Michael Di Venuto in the first over to James Tomlinson.

Mascarenhas dismissed Michael Stoneman soon afterwards and sent back dangerman Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 26 thanks to a diving catch at third slip by Chris Benham.

Mascarenhas got rid of Phil Mustard and Paul Wiseman while David Balcombe took full advantage of the conditions to have Benkenstein caught behind.

Durham slumped to 96 for seven when Liam Plunkett was bowled by Mascarenhas.

Only then did Durham begin to resist, with Callum Thorp joining Smith in an important stand of 43 for the eighth wicket.

But Hampshire countered this by introducing the spin of Imran Tahir and the Durham recovery quickly crumbled.

Tahir bowled Thorp in his second over with a sharply-turning leg-break before doing the same to Graham Onions.

Smith had resisted for 150 balls but ,in his efforts to cut free, top-edged a pull off Tahir and gave a return catch.

Tahir finished with 3-5 as only four Durham batsmen reached double figures.

Durham’s plight looked even worse as Hampshire reached 48 without loss before they too collapsed.

Davies struck when he had Michael Carberry leg before for 22 and in his next over Jimmy Adams was taken at gully by Plunkett.

But at 65 for two there was no hint of the sensational twist that was to come as Hampshire lost four quick wickets without addition.

Benham was the first to go, caught behind off Davies for 11, and the seamer continued to cause havoc when he had Sean Ervine leg before trying to turn the ball to leg.

Michael Lumb gave off-spinner Wiseman his first wicket with a gentle catch to Di Venuto, and Hampshire's misery was completed when Davies trapped Nic Pothas lbw without scoring.

Scorecard

Tickets are available on the gate each day and car parking is avaiable at £7 per vehicle.

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

Gates open at 9:30 and the match starts 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