Historic Dawson feat leads Hampshire to crushing win over Middlesex

Liam Dawson completed the greatest LV= Insurance County Championship performance of his career by becoming only the fourth Hampshire player to score a century and take 10 wickets in a match . Dawson had scored 141 in Hampshire's only innings before taking six for 40 and six for 90 in an extraordinary outing, as the hosts thrashed Middlesex by an innings and 61 runs inside three days.

His career-best match figures of 12 for 130 enters him into an exclusive Hampshire club of 19th-century players Arthur Ridley and Francis Lacey, and Charlie Llewellyn in 1901. Worcestershire's Jack Shantry was the last to achieve the feat in the Championship nine years ago.

The victory, which saw Hampshire bowl Middlesex out for 150 and 208, keeps them hanging on in the title race, and further boosts Dawson's Ashes credentials. It was Hampshire's fourth victory of the season, as they took 21 points away, while Middlesex looked destined to drop into the relegation zone with their solitary point.

Kyle Abbott rattled through the Middlesex tail to finish the first innings, with two outstanding wickets falling inside five overs. Tom Helm shouldered his arms to a delivery which swung then seamed into his off stump before Josh de Caires was the victim of more inwards movement as the ball thudded into his pads.

Middlesex, bowled out 269 behind, were asked to follow on, and are still without a Championship centurion this year.

Second time around they survived almost 13 overs before collapsing.

Dawson ended the first innings with 6 for 40, his best at the Ageas Bowl, bettering the 6 for 61 he had taken against Northamptonshire in the previous Championship match at home. Having been introduced in the 12th over in the first innings, James Vince threw him the ball in the 11th this time around before striking in his second to start a 21-ball avalanche of wickets.

Dawson bookended the spell with Sam Robson edging to second slip and Mark Stoneman popping a reverse sweep off his glove to first slip.

In between, Keith Barker had Pieter Malan failing to go through with a shot and toeing to mid-off and Max Holden brashly advancing and edging to first slip. There had also been time for Stoneman to be dropped at short leg as the visitors sagged from 40 without loss to 51 for 4.

Ryan Higgins was proactive in dragging his side out of their malaise with regular advances at the spin bowlers and reverse sweeps on his way to eight boundaries. He reached a 59-ball fifty in a 78-run stand with John Simpson but fell for 54 when he reversed Dawson to first slip.

Dawson brought up his 10th wicket in the match when Luke Hollman was well caught at wide mid-off by Mohammad Abbas. It was only the second 10-wicket haul of Dawson's career, after his 10 for 139 against Essex last season. His 20 wickets this season have come at 17.75, half his career average.

Simpson and de Caires had frustrated Hampshire for just over an hour either side of tea but the unlikely legspin of Nick Gubbins produced a delivery Shane Warne would have been proud of to castle de Caires - giving Gubbins a maiden Championship wicket.

After Simpson fell for 49 when he strangled Fuller behind, that man Dawson rounded things off when Roland-Jones was struck on the pads and Helm was stumped. The six-for was his third in a row at the Ageas Bowl, having never previously taken more than five wickets in an innings on his home ground.