Hampshire openers set up easy win

Hampshire207 for 4 beat Durham 205 for 8 by six wickets
Scorecard

Opening batsmen Michael Lumb and Jimmy Adams led Hampshire to a resounding six-wicket win over Durham at the Rose Bowl with 31 balls to spare. Lumb signalled his return to form after a poor first half to the season by making 75, while Adams top-scored with 86.

Chasing Durham's 205 for 8 from their 40 overs, a total which never looked like being enough, Hampshire got home in the 35th over. Lumb and Adams put on 150 for the first wicket in 24.1 overs and the rest of the task was easy for the batsmen who followed.

Durham captain Phil Mustard chose to bat first and was the first to go in the sixth over with the score on 39, but none of the Durham batsmen could make the best of bright starts. Eight of them reached double figures but were unable to build a big innings.

Michael Di Venuto was top scorer with 37 and there was a stand of 36 for the third wicket between Ben Harmison and Dale Benkenstein. Ben Stokes and Gareth Breese added a defiant 38 for the seventh wicket but Hampshire's bowlers were always on top.

Left-arm pace prospect Chris Wood took two wickets for 25 from his eight overs and there was a first competition appearance for former England fast bowler Simon Jones. Jones had the satisfaction of removing Di Venuto when the score was 55 and finished with figures of 1 for 41 as further evidence of his rehabilitation from long-term knee injuries.

When Hampshire batted Lumb and Adams quickly went on the attack before Adams was the first to go, the first of three victims for Benkenstein's medium pace, after hitting 86 from 84 balls with six fours and two sixes.

Benkenstein struck again when he removed James Vince and Lumb went within sight of victory when spinner Ian Blackwell found a gap in his defences. Lumb hit six fours and a six in his 79-ball innings and although Neil McKenzie followed soon afterwards, Hampshire's task was completed.

Michael Carberry and Dan Christian finished off the job with Benkenstein emerging as the most successful of the Durham bowlers with figures of 3 for 27. Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison bowled only three overs without success.