By Rob Wildman at Southampton
First day of four: Middlesex 357-5 v Hants
HAMPSHIRE'S battery of seamers began by salivating at the thought of having the first opportunity to bowl on a grassy, green pitch seemingly offering the perfect chance to blow away the second-bottom county.
The reality proved to be very different. Middlesex, berated in the last month for their abject displays, sailed on serenely, guided by Mike Gatting and Andrew Strauss, on his championship debut.
Gatting departed 16 overs from the finish having made an untroubled 77. No wonder the Middlesex master walked off looking rueful, a third century of the season, taking his first-class tally to 95, was there for the taking. Instead he went tamely, caught at second slip edging Dimitri Mascarenhas after he had thumped 12 fours, mostly through the off side.
Strauss, 21, the British Universities left-hander from Durham, gained encouraging nods of approval from Gatting in a third-wicket stand of 85. He began confidently, taking two fours off Peter Hartley, the former Yorkshire pace bowler who has been awarded a county cap after taking 60 wickets in all competitions this summer, and had little difficulty in coping with a Hampshire attack which often had Nixon McLean bowling off his shortened run.
McLean bowled at his quickest after lunch in a session enlivened by Alex Morris's competitive fire. He hit Strauss on the foot trying to catch him out of his ground when venomously attempting to throw down the wicket.
Strauss survived that blow, but fell six runs later on 83 when well caught at second slip by Will Kendall off McLean, having hit 14 fours from 160 deliveries.
The solidity of the Middlesex batting, including a welcome 60 for opener Richard Kettleborough, comes after an August which has brought two stinging championship defeats against Sussex and Leicestershire.
``A pleasant change,'' a relieved John Buchanan, their coach, said. For Hampshire, the decision to insert their opponents backfired and they are now likely to face the spin of Phil Tufnell in the last innings.
Day 2: Tufnell rejects 'dark theories'
By Rob Wildman at Southampton
Second day of four: Middx (437) lead Hants (291-9) by 146 runs
A DAY in the life of Phil Tufnell never passes without incident. Yesterday, he learnt he was not wanted this winter by England, claimed the prized Hampshire wicket of Robin Smith and was then stung on the knee by a wasp.
Tufnell departed theatrically from the field, first loosening his trousers to shake off the wasp, followed by a hop and a skip. Some said he was revived by a cigarette, though he quickly returned to continue his eager part in a match in which Middlesex narrowly failed to make Hampshire follow on.
The left-armer restricted his comments to ``disappointing'' about his England snub. Leading questions about his strong personality preventing selection, and that the summer's grassy wickets worked against him, were met by ``I don't get involved in dark theories''.
Tufnell's one moment of triumph, in a spell of 18 overs in which he conceded 65 runs, came in his fourth over when he beat the advancing Smith to have the Hampshire captain stumped for seven.
A celebratory Tufnell punch towards the pavilion after Smith's departure came as Hampshire were struggling to make the follow-on target of 288. The possibility increased when Adrian Aymes was bowled playing on to the left-arm of Chris Batt and Matthew Keech was caught behind off James Hewitt.
Hampshire were rescued from 124 for five by a sixth-wicket stand between Giles White and Dimitri Mascarenhas. They put on 119 in 20 overs, which came in startling contrast to the earlier batting of 125 in 36 overs.
White completed his century by amassing his second fifty in 44 balls. He eventually departed for 106 when a muted appeal for leg-before brought Batt his third wicket.
Mascarenhas had an inspiring effect on White and completed his fifty off 67 balls. Earlier, Mascarenhas had been the chief villain in an attack which had infuriated bowling coach Malcolm Marshall by the high number of no-balls. In all, during the Middlesex innings, Hampshire delivered 17, which will bring a fine of £2 per 'crime'.
Mascarenhas sent down four no-balls, though he must have repaid Marshall through his batting and was at the crease when Hampshire overhauled the follow-on target. But his departure for 63 triggered a collapse, featuring three wickets in five balls for Richard Johnson.
Day 3: Erratic McLean maintains theme
By Rob Wildman at Southampton
Third day of four: Middlesex (437 & 105-2) lead Hants (311) by 231 runs
HAMPSHIRE, disgruntled at the England selectors neglecting the ability of Adrian Aymes and Dimitri Mascarenhas for the winter A tour, have an unexpected chance today to win their sixth championship match of the season.
Rain intervened five balls after lunch and denied Middlesex the opportunity of building a substantial lead to give them hope of their first victory in the competition since the beginning of June. Instead, they need quick runs this morning to set up a last-day run chase.
The highlight of yesterday's shortened play was Aymes guessing which way Nixon McLean was going to deliver his next ball. Three times the West Indian hit the boundary boards, the ball whizzing past the batsman and beyond the grasp of the wicketkeeper.
Despite his waywardness yesterday, McLean has impressed enough this summer to earn a return next season, irrespective of World Cup commitments for the West Indies.
The unpredictable nature of the bowling continued a theme in this match which has helped to produce more than 100 extras. Hampshire conceded a county record of 69 in the first innings and another 24 yesterday while Middlesex chipped in with 54.
Overall, Middlesex deserve to have established a substantial lead. Their young seam attack of Chris Batt, Richard Johnson and Jason Hewitt, bowled better in the first innings and at one stage looked likely to force Hampshire to follow on.
After Hampshire's last wicket of Peter Hartley and Kevan James had added 20 runs yesterday morning, Middlesex lost two players in extending their lead to 231. Mike Gatting looked ominously set when the rain came, undefeated on 33.
Day 4: Sorry Middlesex throw it all away
By Rob Wildman at Southampton
Hants (311 & 301-3) bt Middx (437 & 173-2dec) by 7 wkts
MIDDLESEX began this last day by staging a vigorous warm-up game of frisbee on the outfield but when it came to performing their chosen trade, the young seam attack were found badly wanting in defending a target of 300 in 67 overs.
Hampshire thrived on the poor bowling to complete an undeserved victory after two days of trying to make up ground after Middlesex had amassed 437 in the first innings.
The rain which caused more than five hours to be lost between Thursday lunch and 12.30pm yesterday, forced Middlesex into setting a smaller target than the one their better batting and bowling justified.
While Richard Johnson, Jason Hewitt and Chris Batt almost forced Hampshire to follow on in the first innings, the second time around they were attacked from the start by John Stephenson and Giles White. They put on 141 for the county's best opening stand of the summer.
Even the encouragement of Mike Gatting shouting ``Come on lads, show some fight,'' from slip could not stop the flow. Stephenson cut and drove vigorously to post his second century of the season, though the highlight was an uncharacteristic pull for six off Johnson.
He fell for 105 when he attempted a further six which found Andrew Strauss on the mid-wicket boundary.
Once the openers departed, Will Kendall scored his first half-century of the season. He finished on 78 not out, bringing Hampshire their sixth championship win - the best total since 1990 - by lifting Paul Weekes for six with 3.2 overs left.
To help Middlesex set the agreed target, the pre-lunch session of 5.1 overs saw the ``joke'' bowling of Robin Smith and Adrian Aymes concede some 68 runs.