Wood helps cut down Northants

Young Hampshire seamer Chris Wood took four wickets in bowler-friendly conditions pm day one against Northamptonshire. The hosts lost their last five wickets for just 21 runs as they collapsed to 218 all out, opener Stephen Peters top-scoring with 44.

Wood returned figures of 4 for 52 and former Zimbabwe international Sean Ervine 3 for 32 before Hampshire stuttered to close on 42 for 3, 176 runs behind.

The visitors won the toss and chose to field and they gave Peters a reprieve in the sixth over when he was dropped on 9 by Ervine at third slip off the bowling of David Balcombe. But Balcombe was to get his reward when Rob Newton edged him to Liam Dawson at second slip to break an opening partnership of 68.

Peters perished to the last ball before lunch when he was just about snared after an initial fumble by Hampshire's stand-in captain, Simon Katich, at first slip off David Griffiths. David Sales went for 10 in the sixth over of the afternoon and Alex Wakely made 27 before he was the next batsman back in the pavilion when his off stump was taken out by Wood.

Northamptonshire captain Andrew Hall departed for 8 to give Ervine his first wicket and Scotland international Kyle Coetzer crawled to 41 off 137 balls before he played Wood on to his stumps after tea. Their innings was brought to an end when Jack Brooks edged Ervine to Dawson at second slip.

Hall brought himself on in the 13th over of Hampshire's reply and his second ball clattered into the off stump of Sean Terry (12) before he also bowled nightwatchman Hamza Riazuddin three deliveries later. Michael Carberry then fell in the penultimate over of the day for 4 as the hosts fought back.