JIMMY Adams was out for 13 in his final innings for Hampshire after  Lancashire’s relegation was confirmed when they failed to secure a third batting point at The Ageas Bowl today.

Adams was greeted with warm applause from the crowd and away team players as he made his way to the crease with Hampshire 15-1, 71 behind Lancashire’s 273, writes Alex Smith.

He rode his luck when he was dropped by Jones at second slip on two, before departing lbw, without playing a shot against Richard Gleeson, for 13.

Adams ends his career with 14,134 first-class runs at 37.29 (including 13,298 at 37.88 for Hampshire.

They include a remarkable seven from his last scoring shot (three runs and four overthrows) against Tom Bailey's seam-up.

Adams was given a guard of honour by his Hampshire teammates before hugging his father Mike on his way to the dressing room for the last time as a professional batsman.

He said: “It would have been lovely to have made a score of note and contribute to us winning a game but in a way it was a relief to get off the mark in the first place.

“I didn’t want to finish it with a pair.

“You hope of a nice fairytale like Cookie [Alastair Cook]. You can’t write it and you can’t always get what you want.

“It was nice that everyone here was nice, you never know what you are going to get.

“I don’t think I have been clapped to the wicket since I was about 10 so it was very good of Lancashire to do that – it was unexpected but a nice touch.

“It was nice to have my old man at the top of the stairs, that was where I had a wobbly bottom lip.

“It will probably sink in in November when the rest of the guys are thinking about fitness tests – I’ll probably just grab a coffee and watch on the balcony!”

On his last scoring shot, Adams added: “I might be able to go down in history as the only man who’s last scoring shot was a seven!

“I don’t even remember ever seeing a seven before and it is nice it made up 50 per cent of my innings.

“I went to my normal scoring area of third man but hopefully it will be recorded as a stunning straight drive!”

To stay up, Lancashire needed to reach a minimum of 300 and beat Hampshire, while elsewhere requiring Nottinghamshire to fall short 200 – which they did - and then lose to Somerset.

But after Fidel Edwards blasted through the tail with the second new ball they fell 27 runs short of the important 300 and their demotion to the second tier was confirmed.

They join Worcestershire, who were relegated last week against Essex.
However, Lancashire are still on top of their clash at the Ageas Bowl as they restricted Hampshire to 178 for eight – the hosts leading by 92 runs.

Lancashire began the day on 123-4, 64 runs behind Hampshire’s 187, and Rob Jones batted Lancashire in the right direction with a morning half century.

Jones, who had come into the game with an average of less than 10 in seven Championship innings this season, added 84-runs with Dane Villas for the sixth wicket, after Liam Livingstone had been yorked by Edwards, his 50th scalp of the season, in the second over of the day.

But despite his classy, attacking, fifty, Jones departed two overs after lunch when Ian Holland had him lbw – the Australian’s third wicket in figures of three for 48.

That left Lancashire needing 59 from the last three wickets, and Joshua Bohannon and Tom Bailey kept the score ticking to the second new ball.

But on 273, Kyle Abbott and Edwards reconvened and took three wickets between them to send the visitors down.

Abbott needed just three deliveries to find the outside of Bohannon’s edge, with Joe Weatherley taking a good catch at third slip.

Former West Indian Test fast bowler Edwards completed the innings, to seal Lancashire’s fate, by bowling Bailey with a fierce full ball before Saqib Mahmood was leg before two balls later.

The difficulties of the fast-bowler friendly pitch, despite blue skies above, were proven by Hampshire’s upper order.

With a first-innings deficit of 86, Hampshire lost Oli Soames to a fine head high catch by Vilas at second slip, before Joe Weatherley was caught behind – both off the bowling off Richard Gleeson.

That brought Adams to the crease for his final innings in first-class cricket, with a warm applause from the crowd and away team players.

Following Adams’ dismissal, to a ball angled across his bows before nipping back, Bohannon took three wickets to leave the hosts 88 for six.

He had Sam Northeast lbw to the fifth ball after tea, James Vince caught behind, and then, a ball later, Ian Holland bowled.

Liam Dawson and Lewis McManus added 43 for the seventh wicket to start a recovery, before the former was strangled down the legside.

Gareth Berg was caught at second slip but Kyle Abbott and McManus guided Hampshire to the close eight down.

Adams added: “I think there is still enough in the wicket, Bohannan did a little bit with the old ball.

“We're going to need a few more, maybe 150, and it could be an interesting game. Kyle’s been in good form and Lewis has battled hard.

"If they can put on 50 then great but it will be a tough ask.”

Lancashire captain Liam Livingstone said: “We thought we might be in with a chance of pulling off a miracle but we knew it had to be a miracle coming into the game. 

“The way we’ve played the last two days, no one’s given up. Everyone’s still running in and the way that Bails has bowled there at the end of the day, I think it shows a lot about us as a team. 

“At times this season we’ve been very bad for hours here and there that have killed us so do I think we’ve been one of the two worst teams? No, I just think when we’ve been bad we’ve been very bad and it’s ultimately cost us.

“I think if you look at the Premier League it is like five teams going down in football. If I’m honest I think for two out of eight to go down in the top division is tough.

“But then again it creates pressure all the way through and there is no let off though the season.

“We will have a think about what we have done this season and hopefully we can improve on it going forward.

“Next year we are going to have to learn from what we have done but the good thing is we are building a good squad with the young lads coming through.”