Hampshire reach 330/8 in between the showers at the Ageas Bowl

Whilst all the talk back at Glamorgan's headquarters has centred around the fantastic news that Cardiff will be staging the opening Test of the 2015 Investec Ashes series, here at the Ageas Bowl, it was a member of England's most recent Ashes series in Australia who seemed set to take centrestage as Michael Carberry resumed on 62 having posted an assured half-century last night.


Carberry resumed this morning with Liam Dawson as Hampshire began the day on 119/1 and in the opening over, delivered by Graham Wagg, he unfurled a sweetly-timed cover drive. At the other end, Jim Allenby beat the outside edge of Dawson's bat before the opener on-drove him for four but generally there was less on offer this morning as Glamorgan's more experienced seamers put a brake on Hampshire's progress.

A single by Dawson off Allenby brought up the hundred stand as large rainclouds started to gather in the vicinity of the ground, before Dawson off-drove Wagg with aplomb, followed by another drive for three as he completed a 111-ball fifty. But in the next over, Carberry miscued a drive and was caught by Ruaidhri Smith at backward point. 140/2 saw James Vince join Dawson but five runs later, it started to rain and the umpires took the players off the field.

After fifteen minutes, play resumed with the floodlights on, but nine balls later the precipitation started again and the covers were brought back on.After thirty minutes off the field, play resumed with James Vince despatching Wagg for fours through extra cover and mid-on before surviving a very loud appeal for l.b.w. as well as caught behind.

Hampshire, who currently sit in second place of the Division Two table, have been badly thwarted by the weather so far this summer, having already lost 28.5 hours of playing time in Championship cricket, more than any other county. Surrey have lost 27.75 hours and Glamorgan 25.5 hours, and there is the likelihood of further interruptions today with the local weather forecast predicting that bands of heavy showers would regularly cross the Ageas Bowl during the afternoon.

Further rain during the lunch interval delayed the resumption until 2pm with another six overs being lost, with Tom Helm returning to the fray whilst Graham Wagg continued at the Pavilion End. Much to the left-armer's angst, James Vince smeared a drive through gully for four, but after 5.5 overs the rains returned forcing the players back to the pavilion, and a further six overs being lost.


When play resumed at 2.45pm, Helm and Wagg continued, with Vince drilling the former through extra cover for three before striking the latter for four to backward point. He then cover drove Helm for another boundary as Hampshire appeared to be making steady headway towards their first batting point. But with the total on 196, Glamorgan claimed their first bowling point as Helm took his maiden wicket for the Welsh county as he induced an edge from Dawson's bat with Mark Wallace completing the catch.


Will Smith joined Vince and brought up the 200 by cutting Helm for four, before clipping his namesake, Ruaidhri, to square-leg for another boundary shortly before the rains returned and an early tea was taken at 3.40pm.

The rains which forced an early tea cleared away shortly afterwards allowing a resumption at 4.05pm as Dean Cosker returned to the attack. But after five balls another shower descended, causing a further quarter of an hour's play and four overs to be lost. Cosker and Ruaidhri Smith resumed the bowling duties with James Vince lofting the spinner straight for four, before Will Smith cut the latter for four as Hampshire went into the lead in the 75^th over as Vince straight drove Cosker again.


Vince greeted the appearance of Will Bragg into the attack by deftly cutting him for four, and in so doing reaching 500 runs this summer in Championship cricket, shortly before the new ball was taken after 80 overs. This saw Graham Wagg return to the fray and he struck with his first delivery as he trapped Vince leg before for 61. 246/4 then became 250/5 as Joe Gatting edged a drive against Wagg into Wallace's gloves, before Sean Ervine announced his arrival with a cover drive against the left-armer.


Smith then cut Helm for four but the below responded next over by re-arranging his stumps as Hampshire lost their sixth wicket on 272. Michael Bates began confidently with an on-drive before Ervine steered Wagg to third man and then backward square-leg in successive balls. But with the total on 299, Allenby returned to the attack and in the space of five balls had Ervine caught behind by Wallace before Murray Goodwin at backward point swooped low to send Matt Coles straight back to the pavilion. Bates then brought up the 300 before Kyle Abbott twice edged for four through the slip cordon.