CLOSE (DAY 2) Notts 340 Hants 298-8.

HAMPSHIRE’s hopes of avoiding the drop remain alive after a battling performance on the second day of their LV= County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

When bad light took the players from the field, with more than 13 overs remaining, the visitors had reached 298-8 in their first innings, trailing Notts by only 57 runs.

Liam Dawson top-scored, making 69 from 97 balls, Gareth Berg was unbeaten on 52 and Ryan McLaren scored 44 not out as Hampshire looked to keep themselves in contention for the win that may preserve their first division status.

Harry Gurney was the pick of the home attack, returning figures of 3-58 as Notts pressed their own claims to try and finish the season in the runners-up position.

Beginning the day on 0-1, after losing nightwatchman Ryan Stevenson on the first evening, Hampshire were rocked during the opening session of the day as Gurney ripped the top order apart.

The left-arm seamer had Jimmy Adams (19) caught down the leg side with his first delivery of the match.

He then had Will Smith (3) caught to a regulation nick through to Chris Read before emphatically knocking out the off peg of James Vince (42).

Brett Hutton picked up the other wicket to fall during the morning, trapping Michael Carberry lbw for 11. 

Either side of lunch Hampshire were indebted to a stand of 70 for the sixth wicket, between Dawson and Sean Ervine. 

The partnership was eventually broken by Samit Patel, who celebrated news of his England Test call-up by dismissing Ervine for 32 as a vigorous attempt to hit down the ground was smartly-taken by Stuart Broad at mid-off.

The follow-on mark of 191 was passed before Brett Hutton collected his second wicket of the day, having Adam Wheater caught behind by Chris Read.

Dawson’s brave vigil ended when Steven Mullaney pinned him deep in the crease, with umpire Steve O’Shaughnessy upholding the loud roar for lbw.

Facing a deficit of more than three figures, Hampshire kept their hopes of an unlikely victory intact as Berg and McLaren joined forces.

With Berg finding the boundary at every opportunity and McLaren playing a mainly defensive, supporting role, the pair added an unbroken 95 before deteriorating conditions curtailed play.

Broad, in his first match at Trent Bridge since his heroic 8-15 in the fourth Ashes Test, went at more than four an over and failed to take a wicket on day two. 

Dawson said: “From 113-5 at lunch we’re massively in the game again. 

“The other game at Headingley is pretty even so hopefully Yorkshire can do us a favour and we get a positive result.

 “If we can get up to their score it gives us a potentially exciting final-day run chase.

”We bat a long way down and Berg and Mac are both very good batters  with the potential to put a lot more runs on the board  if they get through  the first 30 minutes [on day three].

“There’s a bit of excitement about the group now. If Yorkshire get a score and we have a good day anything can happen.”

Notts director of cricket, Mick Newell, said: “From a position of 200-8 you would expect to knock over a side for less than 300 but I think it’s a pretty good pitch but a slow pitch and that’s frustrated us today in terms of winkling out their lower order.

“They’ve obviously got two very good players in at nine and ten who made it very tough for us to get them out.

“I think the third innings of the match – our second innings – is going to be absolutely crucial in seeing how this game pans out.”

Notts bowling: Broad 13-1-58-1, Ball 17.3-3-60-0, Gurney 16-3-58-3, Hutton 15-4-44-2, Patel 13-3-46-1, Mullaney 5-1-22-1, Root 4-1-6-0