Essex 33 for 5 trudge Hampshire 254 (Bailey 89, Vince 60, Porter 4-53, Harmer 3-47) by 221 runs
Hampshire contemporary-ball partners Kyle Abbott and Fidel Edwards gave Essex a champion’s hangover – because the Specsavers County Championship Division One winners suffered a batting give device at the Ageas Bowl.
Mature Test like a flash bowlers Abbott and Edwards shared four wickets for 23 to mosey away Essex on 33 for five in a single day after Hampshire had posted 254 due to classy fifties from James Vince and George Bailey.
Essex had been confirmed as 2017’s title holders final week having thrashed Warwickshire nonetheless realized the south waft. Alternatively, they’ll be keenly mindful that, with relegation positions so tight, they prefer to compete until the live out of courtesy to the opposite facets at the bottom live of the table.
Their answer started terribly as Slash Browne failed to get up the glide of Abbott to plunge in the 2nd over.
Varun Chopra used to be bowled by the South African four overs latter to give the hasty seamer his 50th first-class wicket of the season.
Abbott’s opening accomplice Edwards joined the celebration in the next over to get Tom Westley lbw, because the company slumped to 12 for 3.
Dan Lawrence and Ravi Bopara steadied the ship by blockading out eight overs, earlier than the latter used to be bowled by Gareth Berg with out taking part in a shot.
Essex despatched out nightwatchman Sam Cook to perceive out the final six overs nonetheless he easiest managed two earlier than he used to be bowled by Edwards – leaving his aspect 221 at the relief of.
Earlier, Essex’s wicket-taking duo Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer took their mixed tally for the season up to 134 scalps, after captain Ryan ten Doeschate bowled with out a toss on an ethical bowling notice at the Ageas Bowl.
The pair’s wicket-taking ability has been surely one of many main causes at the relief of Essex’s Division One triumph.
But it used to be Porter’s contemporary-ball accomplice Cook who made the first blow into Hampshire’s batting line -up as he struck Jimmy Adams in front in the 2nd over.
Porter wasn’t to be overshadowed for lengthy as he had Joe Weatherley lbw to mosey away Hampshire struggling on 14 for two.
Vince and Tom Alsop came to the host’s rescue with a punchy counterattacking stand worth 71 runs.
The partnership ended when Alsop shouldered his hands at a straight offer from Porter, with Vince polishing off his 30th first-class fifty in 65 balls soon after.
But Vince departed soon after lunch when he feathered a relief-foot drive at the relief of off Cook.
Spinner Harmer then took centre stage to exclaim his 64th, 65th and 66th wickets of the advertising campaign.
The South African off-spinner had Sean Ervine caught well by an off-steadiness Chopra initially mosey and Ian Holland bowled, both aspect of Porter bowling a leisurely-scoring Liam Dawson.
Harmer added Berg to his lengthy checklist of victims because the Hampshire all-rounder edged at the relief of.
While the wickets had been falling at one live, captain Bailey used to be accumulating runs at the opposite in fluent chanceless style.
The Australian reached his half-century in 79 balls nonetheless slowed up because the softer ball made rapidly scoring extra advanced.
Hampshire reached a 2nd batting point, that will be vital in an unlikely relegation fight, as Abbott used to be caught initially mosey.
Bailey, on 89, made up our minds he prefer to farm the strike and rating boundaries, with unreliable Edwards occupying the opposite live, nonetheless holed out on the mid-wicket boundary attempting a maximum to mosey away his aspect all out for 254.
