Cricket: Warne Leaves the Door Ajar

Shane Warne's capacity to do the unexpected manifested itself again shortly before 3pm yesterday, when having cut Chad Keegan firmly for four to bring up his team's 400, and secure a fifth batting point, the Hampshire captain turned and headed for the pavilion.

Given they were still 20 behind Middlesex with three wickets standing, and that he and Nic Pothas, who already had 102 to his name, were taking a rapid and heavy toll of a weary bowling attack, the timing appeared perverse.

It appeared Hampshire were looking to build as big a first-innings lead as possible before trying to skittle Middlesex out on a wicket which was beginning to give the bowlers a little more encouragement.

That increasingly unpredictable bounce and Middlesex's need for a win to take them off the bottom of the First Division table at least mean a positive result remains a possibility.

Michael Carberry was removed when he had added only a single to his overnight 103 but Pothas and Sean Ervine put on 76 before Ervine edged Chris Silverwood to Scott Styris at second slip. Dimitri Mascarenhas went for his shots only to drive Keegan high to Ed Joyce at short extra cover and Warne's 16 had come off 14 balls.

The Middlesex opener Nick Compton and Ed Smith put on 42 before Compton inside-edged a Dominic Thornely delivery via his pad to Warne at second slip. Then Mascarenhas had Owais Shah caught behind with a ball which left him off the seam. Smith was struck on the helmet by a Thornely bouncer but together with Joyce he took Middlesex's lead past 100.