Ben Brown century puts Hampshire safe in impending stalemate

Ben Brown scored his first century as Hampshire captain to eliminate fears of an innings defeat to Durham in the Rothesay County Championship.

Hampshire were still 92 runs away from avoiding the follow-on when Toby Albert was the sixth man to depart, but Brown and Felix Organ ticked through the required runs with a 164 stand.

Brown replaced James Vince - who has moved to Dubai - as club captain in the winter and led from the front with a patient unbeaten 143.

Hampshire ended the day on 429 for seven, trailing by 82, with Organ, Mark Stoneman and Nick Gubbins also recording half-centuries - with Matthew Potts' three for 62 the best for Durham's bowlers.

The hosts have very little hope of winning the match after Durham had racked up 511 on the opening two days, and regular wickets through the morning put them in deep peril.

Stoneman only added three runs to his overnight 57 - which had been his first half-century sine arriving on the south coast from Middlesex - before he edged Potts behind off his inside edge.

Tom Prest was guilty of stretching too far outside off stump when he was caught behind, while Liam Dawson was bowled by a Potts delivery which kept a tad low - as the pitch appeared to be working slightly better for the bowlers.

The opening two days have been a turgid batting-fest with a used pitch not disintegrating has expected in the hot sun.

But some occasional turn for the spinners and bouts invariable bounce gave Hampshire's batters a few moments of worry.

Toby Albert was more out-gunned by Codi Yusuf's pace when he was bowled, as Hampshire's fears of being asked to bat again began to raise.

But Organ, a highly competent batter who has opened the batting regularly in the past, was a welcome sight coming in at No.8.

Brown had bumped himself higher up the order from seven to five, seemingly to give more stability in the face of wickets.

He picked his moments to jab at deliveries in his textbook manner, while occasionally negating the lower bounce by crouching lower to meet the ball at its trajectory.

A half-century came in 102 balls before a fifth century for the Rose and Crown came in 178 balls - it was the 26th of his first-class career.

Hampshire only picked up two batting bonus points, but at 17:00 BST their deficit had dipped under 150 and the game felt safer - only a monumental effort could stop this match from becoming a draw.

Organ, on his first appearance of the summer, reached his half-century in 124 deliveries but fell when he edged George Drissell to first slip.

His partnership with Brown was the highest seventh wicket stand for Hampshire against Durham almost doubling a 2007 record set by Michael Brown and Shane Warne.