Lumb holds firm for Hants

Jimmy Adams goes for his shots © Getty Images

Hampshire made champions Sussex work hard for their wickets on an attritional second day of the LV County Championship Division One match at the Rose Bowl.

Half-centuries from left-handers Jimmy Adams (50) and Michael Lumb (77 not out) helped the hosts to 304 for six at stumps, in reply to Sussex’s 332 all out on a slow pitch which always kept the bowlers interested.

There were plenty of near misses for a Sussex attack shorn of the threat which might have been posed by Ryan Harris, who was withdrawn from the team at the 11th hour on Wednesday over possible contract complications.

Instead, left-arm seamer Chris Liddle got his chance - and like Robin Martin-Jenkins and then first change Luke Wright, he beat the bat several times to no avail through much of the first hour of a sunny but windy day.

No edges went to hand in the morning session, and it was not until nightwatchman James Tomlinson turned a length delivery from Liddle straight into the hands of Murray Goodwin at square-leg that Sussex broke through.

It was an innocuous way to go. But Sussex and the deserving Liddle were not complaining - well aware they needed to make more progress as opener Michael Brown and his new partner Adams continued to frustrate them.

The introduction of Mushtaq Ahmed did for Brown, lbw back in the crease trying to force the wrong ball wide of mid-on shortly before lunch.

But Adams and John Crawley steered Hampshire well into the afternoon, in a fourth-wicket stand of 92 in 31 overs.

Martin-Jenkins was finally rewarded for his persistence when he had Adams lbw on the back foot, shortly after he had brought up his 117-ball half-century with his seventh boundary - a memorable off-drive off the Sussex all-rounder.

Then debutant seamer Ragheb Aga followed up by bagging his maiden Championship wicket in the next over.

Nic Pothas plays a sweep for Hampshire

It was a big one too, Crawley falling three short of his 50 when he nicked a good ball behind as he pushed forward.

Nic Pothas and Lumb therefore came together on nought but were to share a 76-run stand either side of tea.

The usually fluent Lumb played largely against type, grinding out an eventual 130-ball stay, while wicketkeeper-batsman Pothas was slightly more aggressive.

He was to pay for it, though, when he became Aga’s second victim - bowled off and middle as he aimed to drive a full-length ball past mid-on.

Lumb found a second ally in Greg Lamb - and the seventh-wicket pair took Hampshire towards parity in a match which is evenly poised but may well be destined for a draw, given the rainy forecast for the final two days.

It did nothing to alter that impression when Lumb was dropped head high at slip by a juggling Michael Yardy off Liddle, on 55 shortly before the close.

Aga finished with figures of 2-52 from 14 overs on his first try at this level - and was particularly pleased to have Crawley in the book as his first victim.

“I enjoyed that,” said the 23-year-old, reflecting on the delivery which proved too good for the former England Test batsman.

“It’s a pretty strong wind out there, and it was hard work,” he added.

“But it was enjoyable, and you’ve just got to get on and do the job.”

Chris Adams held Aga’s medium-pace back until the 52nd over of the innings.

But it appeared to work in the Kenyan-born all-rounder’s favour, because he struck in only the fourth over of his first championship spell.

“I just let it go, and that was that. Everything comes to him who waits,” he concluded.