HAMPSHIRE began life back in the first division with a first home LV County Championship defeat for nearly two years – and overseas star Jackson Bird also looks like missing the next match.

“I think it’s going to be touch and go, we’ll see how Jackson goes in training on Friday, but he hasn’t done much so it’s a bit of an unknown,” said Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams, ahead of the match against Warwickshire a Edgbaston, which starts on Sunday.

But despite their first home defeat since June 2013, there was also plenty of encouragement to take from Hampshire’s 92-run defeat against Sussex.

Not least the performance of a bowling attack minus Andre Adams as well as Bird, after Sussex began their second innings with a 213-run lead.

At one stage, Hampshire found themselves 95-7 in reply to Sussex’s 444. But a century stand between Sean Ervine and Chris Wood provided hope. And when Sussex decided against enforcing the follow on, Hampshire’s attack responded by bowling Sussex out for just 164 on a very encouraging third day.

Needing to chase down an Ageas Bowl-record 378 to win, it was an outstanding effort to be in with a chance of winning when they began the final day on 181-4.

Ultimately, however, they needed more of their top five to have their wickets intact than Will Smith  

It did not look like being Hampshire’s day when Smith was caught down the leg side in the third over of the morning.

Smith (23) was one of two early wickets for Matt Hobden, a promising 22 year-old fast-medium bowler from Eastbourne who dismantled Adam Wheater’s stumps in his next over.

While Sean Ervine was at the crease, Hampshire still had hope. Ervine carried on where he left off in the first innings, with five fours that included some thumping cover drives in his 42 from 50 balls.

But soon after Gareth Berg prodded to short extra cover, having scored his first 14 runs for Hampshire, Ervine was out to the first ball from part-time off-spinner Luke Wells, who was given a rare bowl with Chris Nash nursing a hamstring tear.

Chris Wood also continued his first-innings batting form, his 43-ball 30 including a straight six against Wells, before he became Magoffin’s only victim of the innings. Hampshire were all out for 285 when Tomlinson was bowled by Wells three overs later.

Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams said: “We missed a big score from one of the top six. We just weren't able to kick on from being 145-1. Sean Ervine and Carbs played well but one of us needed to get 100-plus and that was the difference.”