Kerrigan takes nine as Lancs leave it late to beat Hants

Simon Kerrigan made his England Lions debut against Sri Lanka A in August

Simon Kerrigan took 9-51 as title-chasing Lancashire kept their hopes alive with a 222-run victory over relegation-threatened Hampshire.

The young left-arm spinner turned in comfortably his career-best figures, but left it very late to win the game.

After a frustrating last-wicket stand from Neil McKenzie and James Tomlinson, the day was into its penultimate over when the final breakthrough came.

McKenzie was snared at silly point as Hampshire were bowled out for 138.

While Hampshire now have to beat Warwickshire at home next week to stand any hope of survival, Lancashire head for their final game against Somerset at Taunton on Monday as the Championship heads for another exciting climax.

While the title race looks between Lancashire and Warwickshire, Durham are also still in it, 15 points behind the Bears, and hosting Worcestershire at Chester-le-Street.

Lancashire had earlier declared on 353-3, with Stephen Moore unbeaten on 169, his first Championship ton for the county, having shared a third-wicket partnership of 161 inside 29 overs with Karl Brown (54).

That set Hampshire 361 to win from a minimum of 67 overs and they were never in the hunt.

Despite some top-order resistance, the visitors then crumbled in a remarkable session after tea, slumping from 77-3 to 199-9 as Kerrigan claimed all six scalps.

Last-wicket pair McKenzie and Tomlinson then batted for 21.2 overs, almost preventing Hampshire's defeat.

But there were just four minutes of this dramatic contest remaining when 22-year-old England Lions left-armer Kerrigan stunned Division One's bottom side with the priceless wicket that earned him a first 10-wicket match haul.

With 10 men around the bat at stages and time running out, McKenzie, the senior man, let the pressure to get to him, nudging Kerrigan to Tom Smith at silly point to spark wild scenes on and off the field.