Mullally nudges selectors with eight wickets

Alan Mullally produced his best figures of the season with perfect timing as the England selectors prepare to consider their side for the Fourth Test next week.

Mullally took his tally for the season in first-class matches to 52 with figures of 8 for 90 to demolish the Warwickshire tail at the Rose Bowl.

Warwickshire lost their last five wickets, all of them to the left-arm pace bowler, for only 17 to be 308 all out.

In reply, Hampshire had reached 26 for the loss of opener Giles White before a massive cloud-burst washed out play for the day with 46 overs still to be bowled.

The downpour left pools of water in the outfield and around the wicket and made the decision of umpires John Holder and Neil Mallender a formality.

Warwickshire began the second day at 192 for 3 and fourth-wicket pair Michael Powell and Ian Bell took the score to 218 before they were both dismissed in the space of five balls as centuries for each beckoned.

The stand was worth 177 when Powell became Mullally's first victim of the day, leg before for 83, an innings which occupied five hours and included only eight boundaries.

The more fluent Bell had scored 98 and was within sight of his second successive Championship century when he was lbw on the back foot to Alex Morris. The promising teenager hit 13 boundaries and faced 194 balls.

Dougie Brown hit Mullally for a straight six in a defiant innings of 50 before he was last out, bowled by Mullally as he pushed forward.

Brown had watched Keith Piper, Neil Smith, Vasbert Drakes and Neil Carter all depart in four overs as Mullally made full use of the new ball in getting lift and pace from the strip.

When Hampshire responded Giles White and Derek Kenway put on 22 in ten overs before White, who had made one, attempted to pull Carter but top-edged to mid off where Powell held on.

Kenway was 18 not out as the rain fell with Hampshire still 282 behind.

Mullally said: "I would love to play for England again in Test Matches. I think the selectors see me as a one-day player but I know I can perform in Tests. I don't know what I have to do to be recalled but obviously figures like these don't do me any harm."