Day 3: Hampshire (189-8 & 270) lead Nottinghamshire (189) by 270 runs. 

WILL Smith led from the front in his first game as Hampshire captain, to give his side an excellent chance of securing their first win of the season.

Smith was without a half-century in 11 Championship innings before guiding Hampshire through two mini-collapses to help ensure Nottinghamshire will need the highest total of the match to win.

Hampshire closed on 189-8 – a lead of 270  - thanks largely to Smith’s 61 and his gutsy fourth-wicket partnership of 78 with Sean Ervine (45).

It could have been even better. Smith was out slog-sweeping with nine overs of the day remaining, having helped Hampshire recover from 24-3 and then 115-6.

But he did more than enough to ease any worries the captaincy would hinder a return to his best form.

So far, it has brought out the best in him. Smith displayed the fighting qualities so often needed at No3 in making his highest score since the draw against Durham last July.

That result began the county’s incredible second half of last season and this match may well be looked back on as a turning point in the current campaign.

Smith began his innings in difficult circumstances, after Hampshire had secured a first-innings lead of 81 by bowling Notts out for 189.

Harry Gurney’s left-arm swing accounting for Michael Carberry and Liam Dawson during a probing spell (8-1-26-2) from the Pavilion End.

Carberry was caught behind and, after Jimmy Adams edged Luke Fletcher (7-3-7-1) to first slip, Dawson lost his off stump prodding forward to a beauty.

Smith and Ervine batted with great responsibility in 26 overs together, but soon after tea Hampshire lost three wickets for 13 runs.

Three overs into the final session, Ervine was lbw for 45, trapped with the help of some low bounce.

Tom Alsop (7) was caught behind at the end of Gurney’s next over. 

It got worse when Adam Wheater (1), who has had such a good season, miscued horribly to mid-on.

But Smith added another fifty with Ryan McLaren, who was 32 not out at the close.

McLaren will begin the final day in tandem with Mason Crane, whose 3-19 ensured Nottinghamshire, after adding 50 to their overnight 99-5, lost their last five wickets for 40 runs yesterday morning.

Hampshire held on to two more outstanding catches. Adams took a blinder at mid-wicket, following a rare Crane long hop, and there was also a one-handed slip catch for Ervine.

Hampshire bowling: Best 16.5-5-44-2, Tomlinson 19-7-56-0, McLaren 15-6-24-3, Crane 10-4-19-3, Ervine 9-3-23-0,  Dawson 3-0-19-1.