Smith 100

The handful of Hampshire fans who witnessed the last day of the county's opening CricInfo Championship match at Edgbaston would have been amongst the lucky few to watch their favourites bat throughout the last day to hold out for a draw. They would have been particularly enlightened by Robin Smith's first Championship century for three years.

Robin Smith put Warwickshire into bat on the first morning and despite early success in dismissing the home captain Michael Powell for 0. He was soon to rue his decision as Nick Knight and Dominic Ostler each scored centuries against a Hampshire attack that lacked penetration on the docile, slow wicket.

Alan Mullally, as befitting his status as an international cricketer, looked the best of the bunch, taking three wickets for 77. Alex Morris looked back to his full fitness with a brace.

John Stephenson, starting his benefit year bowled tidily at the end of the innings to polish off the Warwickshire tailenders, and James Hamblin took a debut wicket when he had Keith Piper caught behind the wicket, but his bowling showed some nervousness.

The score of 455 soon became a distance as Hampshire showed sight of some de ja vu when they returned to their wicked ways of last season, falling well behind in their first innings.

Derek Kenway and Giles White gave Hampshire a good start when they started their reply, sharing an opening partnership of 62 before Sheikh and Brown each took command to pick up wickets as Hampshire lost six wickets for 34 runs.

Neil Johnson, making his debut batted with some comfort whilst watching the debacle at the other end and his two hours 20 minute stay at the crease showed that he could be a useful asset to Hampshire's fragile middle order.

Hampshire were forced to follow on 285 runs in arrears, and lost Giles White to the sixth ball of the innings. Will Kendall fell shortly after and a three-day defeat looked on the cards. Derek Kenway scored a promising 52, striking nine fours in his two hour stay but, with Hampshire losing Johnson for 0 to his second ball, the visitors were grateful to the rain that fell over Birmingham and curtailed play for the rest of the third day.

The Hampshire players and their few supporters may have looked up to the skies when they woke in their hotel rooms, but although cloudy, any rainfall had passed over through the night and on arrival on the ground, found play ready to start on time. In fact Edgbaston was the only match in the country to have a full days Monday play.

Starting the day at 114-4, John Stephenson and Robin Smith failed to give a single chance in their patient but important innings. Between start and lunch, Stephenson had hit five scoring shots to move from his 1* to 17*. Smith, perhaps a little more belligerent scored some 28 runs in that period, a sight unbeknown to followers of the Hampshire captain in the past.

Both batsmen with their backs to the wall continued to progress after lunch, albeit slowly with the pair being content to wait for the bad ball and defend staunchly at everything the Warwickshire attack had to throw at them. The partnership of 106, which had taken five minutes short of four hours, finally came to an end when Stephenson edged the Warwickshire overseas players Vasbert Drakes to the wicket-keeper, from the second over of the new ball. His innings had lasted 209 balls and although he scored only 39 runs, it was to prove an extremely valuable contribution to his side's cause.

After tea, Robin Smith's innings came to a halt when he was bowled middle stump by Mohammad Sheikh for 118. The innings of 307 balls lasted exactly six hours, hitting 16 fours and a single six off Neil Smith to take him past the magical three figure mark.

When Aymes was dismissed, Hampshire were still struggling to avoid defeat with three wickets left and a possible 18 overs remaining. This brought together Dimitri Mascarenhas and Alex Morris and again like the earlier batsmen, the grinded the Warwickshire bowlers down. Mascarenhas scored just 11 from his 54 balls and Morris 48 balls for his 25.

With the scores level and only two overs remaining, the match was drawn.

A game of totally mixed fortunes after two and a half days, Hampshire were in serious danger of losing their opening game by an innings and were fortunate to lose half a day to rain. This did not however take away the magnificent performance of the Hampshire batsmen, led by example by Robin Smith to stave off what seemed to be a likely defeat.

This can only do the teams fortunes a power of good. They will go into their next matches with confidence that despite having their backs to the wall, they came out with credit.

Robin Smith, talking to me after the match was naturally delighted with the teams' performance and was ecstatic over his own personal milestone. "I felt like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders, the trip to South Africa and the first innings here continued a nightmare start."

"I have to give credit to John Stephenson", said Robin, "Without John's support at the other end, I would not have been able to have continued."

"The youngsters at the end, Dimi and Alex, also did us proud, and we will be looking to go from here with our heads up."

"In discussions before the season started with the coaches and the whole squad, our game plan was if we could not win a match, we were going to make a concerted effort not to lose it. This we achieved first time of asking today and I am proud of all the squad."

© CricInfo Limited