ANOTHER bumper crowd was treated to a superb exhibition of batting from two of Hampshire's top order — putting Nottinghamshire to the sword on day three of their Specsavers County Championship match at Newclose.
As was the case the first two days of play, around 2,000 packed into the premier Isle of Wight ground yesterday (Wednesday) as centuries from Sam Northeast (133) and India's Ajinkya Rahane (119) helped Hampshire build a big lead over Nottinghamshire, declaring on 367-5.
Debutant Rahane and Northeast had come together at a precarious 9-2 in the morning and put on 257 for the third wicket.
Hampshire wicketkeeper Tom Alsop added 51 not out to set Nottinghamshire 439 to win, but the visitors lost both openers before closing on 42-2, still 396 runs behind for the final day's play ahead today (Thursday).
It has been an historic occasion — the first county championship match to be held on the Island since 1962 and watched in glorious sunshine for the vast majority of the first three days' play.
Legendary England wicketkeeper and artist, Jack Russell, who was promoting his work and new book at Newclose the first three days, was one of the cricket celebrities to attend and has pledged to paint the Isle of Wight ground in celebration of the venue hosting the Island's first county game in 57 years.
Newclose's trustees have also been buoyed by the takings over the first three days, which should allow the Newclose charity to invest in updating the ground's electronic scoreboard, among other things. Today's play will get under way at 11am.
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