Tightness of Championship seals draw with Sussex

The Frizzell County Championship Division One table is, baring Yorkshire at the bottom, extremely tight with just 12 points separating Hampshire in third and Lancashire in eighth. That was probably the reason this game petered out into a dull draw on the final day.

With four points on offer for the draw, neither captain was keen to concede an extra eight by setting a gettable target and so Hampshire claimed their sixth draw in eight starts, while Sussex picked up their fifth in the same amount.

Something could have been derived if Dimitri Mascarenhas had not dug in and led the tail from Hampshire's precarious 88-6 overnight total to almost double that when they were bowled out just before lunch.

Mascarenhas, in tandem with Shaun Udal (16) and Chris Tremlett (18*) ensured Sussex's first innings lead was not as many as it certainly could have been. But the all-rounder, despite being struck on the hand by a delivery from Robin Martin-Jenkins fell one short of a deserved half-century.

Sussex took an 87-run lead into their second innings but batted slowly, cancelling out any chance of a positive result. Their 111 for 4 declared came in 42.3 overs - only Michael Yardy with 39 striking out in the dull afternoon session.

Alan Mullally and Shaun Udal both claimed a brace of wickets; Zimbabwean Test star Murray Goodwin falling to the left-arm pacemen for the second time in the game.

It left Hampshire chasing an unrealistic 195 for victory. On reaching 56 without loss from 13 overs - a seasons best opening wicket partnership for the home county in first-class cricket - the captains shook hands and declared the game a draw, Sussex happy to pick up 8 points and Hampshire 7.