By Huzaifa Yousafzai from Utilita Bowl
After conceding 462 runs in the first innings, Worcestershire found themselves 61 for 5 just after the lunch break on Day Two and were staring at the possibility of a big defeat.
Fortunately for them a 196 run sixth wicket partnership between Gareth Roderick and Ethan Brookes pushed the visitors up to 273 all out just before the end of play on the second day.
As for Hampshire, Mohammed Abbas started the Worcestershire collapse by taking four early wickets before Liam Dawson’s fifth five-wicket haul of the season closed out the innings either side of the mammoth sixth wicket partnership.
Brookes made a career high score of 132, more than double his previous best of 50 as Roderick scored 94 with the pair using the sweep shot excessively to put pressure back on the Hampshire spinners.
Despite Worcestershire’s middle order heroics, they are behind in the game and trail by 192 runs meaning they have a lot of work to do if they want to avoid defeat in Southampton.
It was Tom Taylor who once again collected the first two wickets of the day for Worcestershire when Dawson top edged to square leg before Tom Prest chipped up to midwicket a few overs later.
Amar Virdi had the next three strikes when Felix Organ was caught on the legside boundary before the LBWs of James Fuller and Kyle Abbott gave the Surrey loanee his first five wicket haul of the season.
Gubbins eventually reached his second first-class double hundred by finishing on his joint highest score of 201 not out just before Abbas edged to second slip to complete Hampshire’s collapse with a score of 462 all out.
Abbas struck thrice for Hampshire when he knocked over Jake Libby’s off stump before having Kashif Ali caught at first slip and Rob Jones edging to the keeper as Worcestershire entered the lunch break on 24 for 3.
Straight after lunch the Pakistani international picked up where he had left off by pinning Adam Hose LBW before Dawson removed Brett D’Oliveira caught at silly point by Fletcha Middleton.
Gareth Roderick and Ethan Brookes joined forces to start a resistance as the pair both passed their fifty marks and and got the visitors to 179 for 5 at the end of the afternoon session.
Brookes carried on his assault after the tea break as he picked out deep point with a reverse sweep but fortunately for him Fuller dropped an easy chance from the bowling of Organ.
Another sweep was all that was needed when Brookes beat the short fine leg fielder to reach his maiden first class hundred as he and Roderick continued to drag Worcestershire out of the mud.
However, Brookes batting partner was not as fortunate when Organ slid one through his defence to have him pinned LBW and dismissed six runs short of a 12th first-class hundred.
Brookes wonderful innings eventually came to an end when he attempted one sweep shot too many as he top edged a Dawson delivery straight into the hands of Fuller at deep square leg.
Dawson struck once more as Logan van Beek missed an attempted sweep shot and was given out LBW before the Hampshire all-rounder inflicted the same result on Virdi in his following over.
The Worcestershire innings then came to a swift end as Joe Leach edged to Prest at first slip giving Dawson his fifth five wicket haul of the season.
Hampshire then elected not to enforce the follow-on as their short six over batting stint just before stumps ended on three runs for the loss of no wicket giving the hosts a lead of 192.
