Tremlett tilts balance of power

Chris Tremlett © Getty Images

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Tailender Chris Tremlett led a stirring Hampshire revival to leave the LV County Championship Division One match with third-placed Durham in the balance at the Rose Bowl.

Tremlett, batting at number nine, hit an unbeaten 62 - two runs short of a career-best - to leave Hampshire in a far healthier position than they had been soon after lunch on the third day.

Durham were all out for 283 in their first innings, a precious lead of 51 which was improved by a further five runs when Hampshire were punished for running on the pitch.

Durham began the third day 264 for eight but Shane Warne quickly removed Mark Davies and last man Graham Onions to finish with season-best figures of 6-83.

Once again Hampshire's top order let them down as medium-pacer Mark Davies ran through the top order.

Onions removed Michael Carberry with the score on eight and Davies, finding plenty of life in the wicket, did the rest.

He bowled John Crawley, had Michael Lumb caught behind and then bowled Chris Benham.

Hampshire's plight worsened when Davies had the dangerous Nic Pothas caught at the wicket by Phil Mustard to leave Hampshire 98 for five, a perilous lead of only 47.

But Michael Brown led the fightback with a gritty half-century, hitting eight boundaries in his 59 and Warne carried on the aggressive response with two sixes off Paul Wiseman and three fours in a rapid 33.

Then Dimitri Mascarenhas and Tremlett came together in a crucial stand of 72 for the eighth wicket as Durham lost their grip on a match they had been controlling.

The determined Mascarenhas was eventually caught at the wicket off Liam Plunkett for 60 in an innings containing nine boundaries.

Even then the resistance was not over as Tremlett put on a further 22 with Stuart Clark before Plunkett bowled Clark for 17.

If Durham thought they had regained command, they were wrong because last man James Bruce helped Tremlett reach his half-century and take Hampshire to 309 for nine before bad light stopped play.

At that stage Tremlett had hit four fours and three sixes and was striking the ball to all parts of the ground.

Davies finished the day with a creditable 4-48, better figures than Plunkett, whose two wickets have cost him 79.

The teams go into the last day with Hampshire 253 ahead and Shane Warne already savouring the turn afforded by the pitch.