DESPITE contrasting half-centuries from Sean Terry and Adam Wheater, Hampshire are on the cusp of a fourth LV County Championship defeat.

Terry made his second half-century in three matches - a patient 52 from 171 balls - before Adam Wheater counter-attacked, firing a 44-ball 50 on a day that saw only 227 runs scored in 94 overs on a turgid Lord’s surface.

After beginning their second innings 154 runs behind, Hampshire subsided to 195-7 by the close - a lead of 41.

They would have hoped for more after taking Middlesex’s last two wickets in the first ten overs of the third day.

Jackson Bird (3-88) yorked Toby Roland-Jones (14) and Ollie Rayner (52) was bowled swinging across the line at Brad Wheal (4-101) as Middlesex slipped to 330 all out, after resuming on 298-8 in reply to Hampshire’s 176.

Terry and Jimmy Adams negotiated the first 16 overs with few alarms. But then captain Adams (28) was caught down the leg side to the last ball before lunch, having seen off far more threatening deliveries during James Harris’s opening spell (4-2-8-1).

Harris was not done there. He took the big wickets of Michael Carberry (one) and James Vince (15) in successive overs after continuing his spell (9-2-23-3) from the Nursery End.

Carberry nicked one angled across his bows, while Vince lost his off stump to a beauty that left him off the pitch and evaded his defensive prod.

Hampshire’s limited-overs captain has only one fifty from 15 Championship innings this season, but Terry (52) took his tally to four in six matches.

His 50-run partnership in 31 overs with Will Smith was soporific viewing but it was exactly what was needed.

It ended in the second over after tea, when Terry – having reached a 153-ball fifty (six fours) with a single against left-armer James Franklin a few overs before the interval – was trapped lbw by Tim Murtagh.

Off-spinner Ollie Rayner took the other wickets to fall during an excellent third spell (10-6-25-3) as Hampshire slipped from 164-4 to 178-7.

He dismissed Smith and Wheater with successive deliveries. Smith was caught at point for a 123-ball 30.

And after hitting six fours, Wheater was trapped lbw by the first ball of Rayner’s next over when he tried to his a straight ball through mid-wicket.

Joe Gatting was bowled for four before Gareth Berg (18*) and Danny Briggs saw off the first few overs against the second new ball.