17 Durham wickets fell, but visitors scrape draw

Crowded fielders

Hampshire made an amazing charge on the fourth day to achieve the task of taking 18 wickets, for an unlikely result after no play was possible on the third day. They achieved 17 - agonisingly close to a much needed victory. Despite taking 12 points from maximum bonus points and the draw, they languish at the bottom of the Frizzell Championship Division Two table, having drawn 5 and losing one. The weather has been unkind to Hampshire Cricket this season.

Durham started the last day on 107 for 2 and comfortably advanced to 175 without further loss, until, shortly before lunch the innings was turned on its head by three wickets in one over from Alan Mullally. Mullally removed Gary Pratt lbw, bowled Nicky Peng second ball, and enticed Danny Law to edge to the wicket-keeper. When debutant James Lowe then fell lbw to Wasim Akram for 80, four wickets had tumbled for just 4 runs. 20 year old Lowe had batted patiently for his 80 runs, and proved that this was a young lad with a good future.

Phil Mustard then became the second of the Pakistanis victims when he played back only to find his off-stump cart wheeling. Nicky Phillips then met the same fate as Durham were staring having to follow on. Ed Giddins took the last two wickets of the innings as Killeen was well caught by Will Kendall, then Deward Pretorius who had been batting with a runner was bowled.

Following on, Durham lost both openers cheaply before tea, Jon Lewis edged Mascarenhas to Simon Katich at first-slip, and Lowe fended off Giddins for the first of Robin Smith's four catches at forward short leg.

Simon Katich then came into the act, his brand of slow left-hand chinamen bamboozled the Durham middle order, and Wasim Akram at the Pavilion end took the wicket of Law lbw, with an swinging yorker he has made his own.

The visitors then rallied as the 8th wicket partnership survived 17 overs. Phil Mustard and Liam Plunkett held Hampshire at bay, as John Crawley swapped his batsmen around. Plunkett finally fell to another Wasim lbw. Phillips often a thorn in Hampshire's side came to the crease, and with Killeen survived until with 9 balls remaining Kileen became Wasim's 3rd wicket.

Phillips was joined by Daward Pretorius who with a runner, battled hard to save the game, and most of the crowd were surprised to find that in the last hour there was time for another over, but despite Wasim at full pace, Phillips survived to end the match as a draw.