Hampshire 187 & 198 lost to Lancashire 273 & 113/2 by eight wickets

Jimmy Adams was appluaded off the field after Keaton Jennings guided relegated Lancashire to victory over Hampshire today.

Adams' magnificent 16-year career with Hampshire ended at strumps on the final day of the season.

Meanwhile, Lancashire's drop into division two was confirmed yesterday when they failed to reach a third batting point.

Hampshire were bowled out for 198, having resumed on 178-8,  leaving Lancashire a target of 213.

The visitors lost two wickets, with Fidel Edwards grabbing his 53rd and 54th wickets of the season.

The fast bowler found the outside of Alex Davies’ bat to edge to a diving Sam Northeast at third slip before dislodging debutant Brooke Guest’s off-stump.

Jennings, though, carried over the line in attacking style – carting Kyle Abbott for four boundaries in the first over.

He gave Joe Root and the England coaching staff a timely nod before the Test side fly out to Sri Lanka.

Liam Livingstone, 48 not out, added the remaining 73 with Jennings, completing the eight-wicket victory by smashing Ian Holland over the top of the leg side in successive balls.

Lewis McManus had started the day alongside Kyle Abbott with Hampshire 92 ahead.

But only four runs were added before the first of the two remaining wickets fell.

Abbott, who ended the season with a creditable batting average of almost 26 from No.10, was bowled by a big in-swinger from Tom Bailey for 21.

McManus, now with Fidel Edwards, eked Hampshire’s lead over 100 before the West Indian was bowled, again by Bailey – who claimed eight wickets in the match.

The scalp meant Bailey completed the campaign as the highest wicket-taker in Division One, with 64 wickets – seven more than teammate Graham Onions and Essex’s Jamie Porter, who could still overtake him.

It also meant McManus was left stranded on 44 on his first Championship appearance since June, having lost the wicketkeeping gloves to Tom Alsop.

Lancashire then knocked off the 113 required for victory in exactly 13 overs.

The defeat means Hampshire will have to wait until after Yorkshire’s match with Worcestershire is concluded to discover whether they finish fourth, or fifth.

Hampshire wicketkeeper Lewis McManus said: “It wasn’t the ideal end to the season, we wanted to send Jimmy and Slug off with a win at the end of the year.

“There are plenty of things to improve but there have also been things which are good and we should take those positives.

“It was nice to come into the game knowing we were safe, it gave us an element of freedom.

“I wanted to go out and enjoy it today and some of my best performances have come when I have taken the pressure off myself.

“It was good to spend some time out in the middle. We thought if we could get a 150 to 200 lead then it might have been a tricky chase for them.

“The wicket wasn’t the same as it had been the first two days, it flattened out, so it was tough to defend.”