Hayden leads Australian fightback against Hampshire

Robin Smith rolled back the years in scoring his fourth hundred against the Australians on the day Alan Mullally was left out of England's latest Ashes squad.

Smith, 79 not out overnight, was lbw to reserve paceman Ashley Noffke for 113, his third ton of the season, as Hampshire were bowled out for 354 - a first innings lead of 257.

Noffke struck Smith with a bouncer moments before trapping him lbw and a day after bowling the Hampshire captain with a no-ball. Noffke finished with three Hampshire wickets.

Then the Australian top order reminded their hosts why they are the best side in the world. Former Hampshire batsman Matthew Hayden crashed Mullally for successive boundaries through mid-wicket in bringing up his fifty. And he struck Shaun Udal for two sixes before finishing on 92 not out.

Justin Langer was the only Australian wicket to fall in the second day. First slip Derek Kenway caught the opener at the second attempt after Langer had snicked Neil Johnson.

But Simon Katich, who finished on 49 not out, helped Hayden put on an unbeaten 104 for the second wicket as the tourists narrowed Hampshire's lead to 81.

Robin Smith said: "It was great to get another hundred against Australia at this stage in my career and some of the bowling from Brett Lee and Jason Gillsepie was as good as anything I've every faced.

"I can see why the England batsmen have stgruggled when you consider that Glenn McGrath was rested. But I think the selectors have been silly in leaving Alan Mullally out of the squad."

Hayden said: "It was really good to spend some time in the middle here - that is never a bad thing before a Test match," he said, looking forward to this week's Third npower Test at Trent Bridge.

"The idea of these county matches is to get some time at the crease, so it was a really frustrating first dig. It was a missed opportunity, and we put ourselves in a nasty position.

"I have been feeling like I have been batting quite well. But I have not really put together the long innings.

"It has been a frustrating little period. Even in the first Test I had 30 or so on the board and was really feeling good and hitting the ball well. But then I got out to a good catch and a poor shot.

"It has not quite been my series so far, but maybe after this the next Test will be a big one for me."