Warwickshire 217 and 11 for 0 (Davies 10*, Sibley 1*) trail Hampshire 370 for 9 dec (Holland 99, Dawson 92, Brown 72*, Hannon-Dalby 5-86) by 142 runs
Opening batter Holland began his season with 81 against Somerset but averaged 14 in his subsequent 13 innings before alleviating his poor form with a stubborn knock.
Warwickshire sliced 11 off the deficit in six wicketless overs.
Hampshire had wobbled to end day one on 42 for 3, 175 runs in arrears, after an exceptional bowling display. Therefore, the morning session was a recalibration and a slow accumulation of runs.
Holland had shown a glimpse of his newfound resolution in the second innings of the thriller at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, a fortnight ago, when he scored 37 in 95 balls to provide the glue against Simon Harmer’s onslaught.
His place in the team was somewhat questioned, with Joe Weatherley and Tom Prest itching to take their Vitality Blast form to the red ball.
Here, with night watcher Kyle Abbott for company, he put an unbelievably high price on his wicket; playing in a compact style with only balls offering any width smacked to the boundary.
Abbott had started the season with an Audi-worth of ducks but has returned to ‘genuine all-rounder Abbott’ recently and extended his overnight stay much longer than he would have been welcome – importantly softening the ball at the same time.
The South African was lbw to Nathan McAndrew to end the 41-run stand, but that only joined Holland and Dawson together. It was unspectacular, efficient and – other than a spill at gully – chanceless from the pair.
Dawson collected a pair of fifties against Yorkshire in the last Championship fixture at the Ageas Bowl, before taking his maiden ten-wicket haul at Essex, with 17 wickets coming miserly in the Blast.
While Holland peppered between third and cover, Dawson’s innings required eyes in the back of his head – with just 16 of his 92 runs coming in front of square – as he typically played the ball as late as possible.
Holland’s fifty came in 131 balls, Dawson’s in 94 and a pair of centuries looked certain only for Holland to edge a cut to first slip. His reaction of slumping on his bat, forcefully spinning around, lifting his bat over his head and looking skywards as his slink away proved a visual depiction of his internal heartbreak.
The second new ball, led by Hannon-Dalby, then sent Hampshire into a mini tail-spin on either side of tea. Dawson was leg before to the gangly fast bowler, Aneurin Donald chopped him on before Keith Barker played McAndrew back onto his stumps. The hosts falling from 249 for 5 to 291 for 8.
But Brown, in his typically busy manner, and the permanently-attacking James Fuller took the lead past three figures in a bustling 70-run stand. Fuller eventually holed out for a 39-ball 37, while Brown past fifty for the fourth time this season before a classic slog boundary brought about the declaration.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo