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Day 1: No play due to rain

Day 2: Kendall builds solid platform

Neville Scott

Second day of four: Hampshire 125-1 v Warwickshire

With Leicestershire, the champions, and Surrey, the champions-elect, having apparently done enough to secure Division One status next year, there are perhaps a dozen teams still realistically fighting for seven places.

Matches like this over the season's last five weeks, pitching two such sides together, are going to have a critical bearing. Winning remains important but denying any opening to key potential rivals is equally so.

On both counts, Hampshire, put in to bat, will be happy. After Tuesday's wash-out and an eventual start 35 minutes after lunch yesterday, they already look reasonably safe from defeat in a 2.5-day game and may yet apply pressure.

If Warwickshire's seam attack, critically lacking Allan Donald, Tim Munton and Ed Giddins, did not get as much from a green pitch as they should have, Derek Kenway and especially Will Kendall batted with all the impressive dedication by which Hampshire have tenaciously defended their flying start this year.

After Jason Laney, over-ambitiously whipping to leg, was superbly taken at third slip from a leading edge, Kendall's clever play in working the ball through the gaps off his pads took him to fifty in 124 balls.

Kenway, missed badly at square cover when 26 off Dougie Brown, followed him there next delivery. Alan Richardson, the best of the seamers, saw Kendall survive a sharp second-slip chance on 39.

Day 3: Kenway claims maiden century

Neville Scott at Southampton

Third day of four: Warwicks (102-2) trail Hants (353-7 dec) by 251 runs

It speaks volumes of Hampshire's astute, selfless team play under Robin Smith that, although they have the second highest stock of batting points, Derek Kenway's maiden century yesterday was only their second championship hundred this year.

No batsman has been outstanding yet opportune runs have been made right down the order. Three victories took them top in mid-May and, despite recording just one more win, a steady supply of draws and bonus points has seen them slip only five places since.

The batting here was of high tactical acumen. Kenway, locally born, provided the ballast. Giles White, with 92 from 148 balls, added the flourish.

In two phases of 33 overs each, 83 watchful runs carried them to security at 208 for four. Then the tempo lifted with a vengeance, and another 145 were added to bring full batting points from the last available ball.

White, last out two overs from the declaration, fell in the cause when wonderfully taken on the midwicket boundary. Adrian Aymes supported him with a swift 45 before a leading edge had him taken at mid-off.

In the morning, Will Kendall wasted Wednesday's canny batting by driving lavishly and going immediately. Smith drove fatally at an outswinger soon after. But Kenway, 21, continued to a composed five-hour century before falling to spinner Ashley Giles.

Though Warwickshire lost Nick Knight and Michael Powell, who fended a vicious bouncer from veteran Peter Hartley to slip, they finished halfway to avoiding the follow-on.

Day 4: Hampshire bonus as Hartley adds bounce

Neville Scott

Hampshire (353 & 46-0) drew with Warwickshire (351)

A Minority view perhaps, but greater purpose seemed to be served by a last-day bonus-point battle than that tired formula of joke bowling and two-session run chases which once so distorted championships.

Certainly no softness remotely intruded here until Warwickshire were finally dismissed after tea, taking 11 points to Hampshire's 12. And Peter Hartley's willing bowling was worth the entrance fee on its own.

The old stager, who will turn 40 before another campaign starts, out-bowled all others and gained remarkable bounce. His second five-wicket bag from nine games this year, superbly covering for Alex Morris's long-term shin splint injury, carried his tally to 42 at 20.83. A further contract looks certain.

Hartley began a stutter either side of lunch as Warwickshire went from 208 for two to 222 for five, with Trevor Penney taken behind for 49 and overnight partner David Hemp getting an edge off Nixon McLean for 69.

But reprieves for Neil Smith and Ashley Giles, off Shaun Udal at 309 for eight, allowed Warwickshire to scramble to full batting points with nine wickets down.