Durham CCC v Hampshire CCC

Sean Ervine guided Hampshire to a shock victory at wicket-strewn Basingstoke as third-placed Durham wasted a glorious chance to go top of the LV County Championship Division One table.

Ervine struck an unbeaten 94 to guide Hampshire home by two wickets as they chased a total of 240 - the highest innings in a low-scoring match.

After 35 wickets went down on the first two days at the tiny May's Bounty ground, Durham were expected to polish off the Hampshire resistance.

Hampshire were 108 for five in their second innings overnight, still needing another 132 to complete an unlikely double over Durham.

But Durham had reckoned without Zimbabwean Ervine, who curbed his attacking instincts to usher the Hampshire tail home amid scenes of high tension.

Had Durham emerged as victors they would have been in a powerful position to go on and clinch the county title.

Hampshire, shot out for 96 in their first innings, were in no mood to allow Durham the chance to gain revenge for a five-run defeat at the Riverside earlier in the season.

The troublesome wicket appeared surprisingly docile after the batting horrors of the first two days as Ervine and sixth-wicket partner Liam Dawson whittled down the target.

England Under-19 all-rounder Dawson helped his more experienced partner put on 94 precious runs for the sixth wicket until Durham at last made the breakthrough.

Dawson had scored 28 when his attempted drive from a delivery by spin bowler Paul Wiseman ended up in the hands of Durham captain Dale Benkenstein at leg slip.

Dawson had been missed at slip by Shivnarine Chanderpaul off Graham Onions when he had made 19 and his departure gave Durham renewed hope.

Hampshire captain Dimitri Mascarenhas was put down at mid-on by Callum Thorp off a difficult chance when he had made 11 as Hampshire went into lunch at 203 for six, still requiring a further 37 and neither side sure of who might win.

Mark Davies, who had taken a career-best eight wickets in the first innings, added another at 209 when Mascarenhas was bowled off his pads for an enterprising 26, which included four boundaries.

The odds moved in Durham's direction at 219 when David Balcombe gave Davies his third wicket of the innings to a smart catch by Michael Di Venuto but it proved to be Durham's last success.

Ervine was joined by Imran Tahir and together they knocked off the 21 runs they required.

Davies could take consolation from figures of 3-51 to give him a total of 11 for 75 in the match, but the vital victory eluded his team.

Hampshire hero Ervine faced 169 balls and hit 14 fours in what was the second best score of his Hampshire career in first-class matches.

Hampshire's win gives them a strong chance of avoiding relegation, a scenario that looked unlikely until recently.