Relentless Mitchell continues Hampshire domination

Daryl Mitchell continued his relentless domination of Hampshire's bowling by reaching an undefeated 206, his second double-century in the County Championship, in a chanceless innings stretching to nine hours over two days at New Road.

The statistics are now stacked up to an astonishing level in the last four meetings. Starting with 172 not out at the Ageas Bowl last season, he has batted for two minutes short of 23 hours, scoring 532 runs for once out while facing 1066 balls and striking 67 boundaries.

Given the scale of Mitchell's screw-turning, and there was no mercy in extending his team's first innings to 478, Hampshire may have anticipated a rough passage to the close and so it proved as they struggled through to 86 for 3, still 392 behind.

Sean Terry feathered the fourth ball from Charlie Morris to first slip but Michael Carberry was dropped at second slip off Joe Leach. As if to prove that Mitchell is not faultless in his dealings with Hampshire, the lapse was his. Leach did get a wicket, switching ends to have Jimmy Adams leg-before for 20, and Carberry, after reaching 36, also fell lbw during five overs for one run by Saeed Ajmal. This left James Vince as Hampshire's main hope on 29 not out.

In the meeting of the bottom two counties in Division One, Mitchell's marathon - he carried his bat for the fourth time in a completed Championship innings - has put Worcestershire in the box seat. They can win the game but Hampshire, for now at least, can only aim to aim to avoid defeat. With four batting points, which in itself represents a mammoth recovery from 25 for 3 on the first morning, Worcestershire are now seven ahead of the bottom team.

The downgrading of Jackson Bird's bowling figures confirmed the damage done by Mitchell's intransigence. When the Australian fast bowler dismissed Tom Kohler-Cadmore on Monday, he had taken 3 for 16. When last man Morris was caught behind on Tuesday, Bird had 4 for 146.

In batting deep into the second day, Worcestershire's last five wickets more than doubled the overnight score. Each of Mitchell's partners made contributions, beginning with Ben Cox, who got to 23 out of 43 before losing his middle stump to the persevering Brad Wheal. The next threat to Hampshire was more punishing as Leach's crunching drives brought ten fours in a stand of 123 until the allrounder was out for 59, caught at midwicket in a containing spell by Danny Briggs.

The left arm spinner's over-the-wicket probing of the leg stump area was mostly responsible for the 19 wides in the innings, but Worcestershire still pressed on a good rate as Jack Shantry, with 21 and Ajmal's 16 helped Mitchell beyond his seventh Championship score of 150 or more.

A couple of stumpings for Adam Wheater assisted in further wickets for Briggs and Will Smith, but nothing could break Mitchell's concentration until he crossed the 200 threshold by cutting Briggs for his 25th four from the 408th ball he faced.

"This was a special day for Daryl Mitchell, batting for 140 overs, carrying his bat for a marvellous double century," Worcestershire's director of cricket, Steve Rhodes said. "If anyone deserves all the accolades, he does because he's had a tough season himself. He's had some tough times and now in typical dogged Daryl Mitchell fashion he has shown all his class.

"He's gone through some fighting innings and not been particularly comfortable at the crease but he has managed to be effective and score some runs. I think this game he has been far more fluent, better organised. He's found his touch and that's good news for the rest of the season."

Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein has held up Mitchell's innings as an example for his team to follow. "If anything we can learn also learn from him," he said. "That's the sort of knock we are dying out for at the moment. We would like to have that because it sets up the whole game and people can bat round him. He's getting better and better. He's getting to that age where he really knows his game. He sticks to his game plan. This was a pretty chanceless knock really and you have come to expect this from him. He's doing it quite consistently over the last few years."