Day 3: Lancashire 310/4 trail Hampshire 548/6d by 238 runs.

Hampshire managed only three wickets on the penultimate day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Lancashire.

Alviro Petersen (98), Haseeb Hameed (89) and Luke Procter (54) frustrated the hosts after Lancashire began the day on 70-1.

Petersen appeared the most comfortable and free flowing of the milestone makers – on a pitch with few demons but tricky to score on when bowled straight.

The South African, who has previously turned out for Essex, Glamorgan and Somerset, offered one chance – with substitute Joe Weatherley parrying a tricky attempt at backward point when the batsman was on 28.

Veteran Petersen moved to fifty in 83 balls, the quickest of all the half-centuries, but missed out on his ton when Liam Dawson bowled him two runs short of what would have been his 42nd first-class century.

Teenage opener Hameed had patiently batted half the day to score a half century for the fifth match in a row – also moving past 1,000 first-class runs in just his 15th appearance.

Hameed played a similar role to Will Smith, who had notched a double century in Hampshire’s posting of 548, and also reached 50 from 147 balls.

Other than a drop by Mason Crane on the previous evening, he offered little for the bowlers – who toiled away on a pitch offering very little.

The England under 19 right hander added 119 for the second wicket with Procter equally as watchful throughout the 51 over slog.

Procter eventually fell to the final ball before lunch, leg before to Smith for 54 – the batter kicking the turf in frustration with the hint the ball rattled his inside edge.

Hameed looked set for his third hundred of the season – but after an 85-run partnership with Petersen was bowled leaving a Gareth Berg in-ducker.

With Petersen putting on 84 with skipper Steven Croft before his wicket, Lancashire concluded the day trailing by just 238 runs.

Croft looks set to become the eighth man to pass 50 as he is perfectly set overnight on 41.

A positive result is now unlikely going into the final day.

Hampshire bowling:  Berg 17-5-48-2, McLaren 24-8-47-0, Dawson 26-4-55-1, Wheal 20-4-53-0, Crane 19-5-51-0, Andrew 13-4-37-0, Smith 2-2-0-1.