Hoggard back in swing to stun Hants

Bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire had promotion hopefuls Hampshire on the rack at the end of the second day of their Division Two game at Grace Road. Captain Matthew Hoggard took four wickets and Alex Wyatt and Wayne White three each as the hosts bowled out Hampshire for 181 to secure a first-innings lead of 175 runs. By the close they had increased that to 243.

Sean Ervine top scored for Hampshire making an unbeaten 58, while David Balcombe hit 31 in a ninth-wicket stand of 50 - the biggest of the innings.

It took Hampshire just over five overs to wrap up the Leicestershire first innings, with Chris Tomlinson taking both wickets. He yorked Hoggard and had Wyatt caught behind as the home side added 22 runs to their overnight 334 for 8.

Shiv Thakor scored 14 of the runs to finish unbeaten on 85. It was a Championship-best score for the talented 18-year-old. Tomlinson was the pick of the Hampshire attack, claiming five for 69 in 24.3 overs.

There was still plenty of help from the pitch for the seamers and the Leicestershire bowlers took full advantage, giving the Hampshire batsmen a torrid time. Hoggard, Wyatt and White did all the damage as Hampshire were all out in 57 overs. It was only Ervine's gritty effort and the ninth-wicket stand that enabled Hampshire to avoid a complete rout.

They lost their first five wickets for 99 runs in 34 overs, Wyatt and Hoggard ripping through the top order. Wyatt produced an impressive first spell of 2 for 9 in four overs, dismissing Neil McKenzie lbw and removing Simon Katich for a duck, courtesy of a stunning catch at cover by Thakor.

Hoggard had Michael Carberry lbw offering no shot and bowled Jimmy Adams with a fine inswinger, before Wyatt picked up his third wicket by trapping Liam Dawson lbw. Then White took over, claiming the next three wickets in 25 balls at a cost of 14 runs. Michael Bates was bowled for a duck, Chris Wood out lbw without scoring and Kabir Ali bowled off an inside edge.

But David Balcombe joined Ervine in a stand of 50 before Hoggard returned to snap up the last two wickets. He bowled Balcombe for 31 and had Tomlinson caught behind to finish with figures of 4 for 27.

Although Hampshire were 175 behind, Leicestershire did not enforce the follow on. Openers Will Jones and Mike Thornely fell cheaply but Ramnaresh Sarwan and Ned Eckersley took them to 68 for 2 by the close and a lead of 243.