Hain digs in as Bears battle to secure a draw

Chasing 498 to win, Warwickshire resumed on the final morning on 40 for one and batted out the day for 321 for nine thanks largely to a seventh-wicket partnership of 183 between Sam Hain (111 not out, 254 balls) and Michael Burgess (79, 162).

They came together with their side in serious trouble at 123 for six but batted with patience and technique to consume 55 overs and steer the match towards a draw.

Warwickshire coach Mark Robinson said: “There is some relief to have come out of the game with a draw. We probably feel we deserved a draw but, at times during the game, we have been a bit careless. We probably shouldn’t have been in that position.

“Batting on the last day is never easy and Hainy showed great concentration and that partnership with Burgess, from six wickets down after lunch, got us close to safe with 12 overs to do but we all know in this game, there is often a late twist.

“You’ve got to give credit to Hampshire, they kept running in and Fuller’s spell at the end was aggressive and hostile on a relatively docile wicket. It was a very nerve-racking finish.”

Hampshire pressed hard in the closing overs but had to settle for a draw having largely outbowled a home attack including Chris Woakes. For Warwickshire, though their fourth-day resolve saw them escape defeat, their wait for a championship victory goes on. In Division One, only they and neighbours Worcestershire have still to record a win this season.

Warwickshire badly needed that resolve in the second half of the day after their top order collapsed in the first. They took a big hit from the fifth ball of the morning when Keith Barker bowled Will Rhodes.

Hampshire winkled out another three in the morning session. Danny Briggs, having eked 26 from 81 minutes, flashed at a wide ball from Barker and nicked it. Dan Mousley edged spinner Liam Dawson to slip and Ed Barnard was bowled by a beauty from James Fuller.

When, to the ninth ball after lunch, Jacob Bethell played back fatally to Kyle Abbott and fell lbw, Warwickshire were 123 for six with 66 overs to survive. That is the sort of challenge that Hain and Burgess relish, both having batted the Bears out of many a hole, and they duly got their heads down again.

Hain struck his 800th four in first class cricket on his way to reaching 50 (116 balls) and grew in fluency as the afternoon went on. Two sixes pulled over long-leg off Fuller saw off the old ball and the new one also failed to part the seventh-wicket pair.

Hain biffed a Felix Organ full toss to the boundary to reach his 18th first class century and Burgess passed 4,000 first class runs and struck his 500th four in an innings of high diligence. Warwickshire were closing in on safety when, with 11 overs left, Burgess edged a cut at Organ and the ball rebounded off the wicketkeeper to Nick Gubbins at silly point.

A fired-up Fuller then rattled Woakes’ off stump and Hampshire were buzzing with 40 balls in which to take the last two wickets. With the tenth of those, Fuller hit Craig Miles’ off stump, leaving last man Olly Hannon-Dalby with five overs to survive.

A Fuller lifter rapped Hain on the hand, a blow that required lengthy treatment, but with only 21 balls left the batter soldiered on, abetted by Hannon Dalby (a steel-nerved 0 not out, 11 balls) to see his side to a draw.