Hampshire v Essex: Champions bowl out hosts for 76 to win after following on

Sam Cook registered his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket to seal Essex's unlikely win

Champions Essex bowled out Hampshire for 76 to seal a incredible win, having followed on at the Ageas Bowl.

New-ball pair Sam Cook (5-18) and Jamie Porter (2-21) starred as Hampshire, chasing 185 for victory, collapsed in 29.4 overs to lose by 108 runs.

Hampshire, who started the game third in Division One, are still not safe.

Earlier, James Foster (47) and Neil Wagner (44) added 82 for the ninth wicket to push Essex up to 362 and set up a victory chance for the visitors.

Essex - who remain unbeaten - had battled back after being bowled out for 76 themselves in their first innings, with Dan Lawrence's century and brisk lower-order runs in their second innings giving them hope of an unlikely win.

Hampshire's batsmen had no answer to a swinging and seaming ball early in their run chase, slipping to 12-4 and 29-6 as Cook and Porter shared the first six wickets to fall.

The 10th-wicket partnership of 20 between Ian Holland and Fidel Edwards was Hampshire's highest of the innings.

Hampshire start their final game of the season on Monday against already-relegated Warwickshire and would guarantee survival if they take 11 points at Edgbaston.

The south coast side are 13 points ahead of seventh-placed Somerset, who lost to Surrey at The Oval.

History repeats for Essex

Essex's rare follow-on victory against Hampshire uncannily mirrored the achievement of their last Championship-winning side 25 years ago.

They did the same against Hampshire at Dean Park, Bournemouth, in June 1992, being bowled out for 149, in response to Hampshire's 300-8 declared.

They then totalled 310 in their second innings before bowling out their hosts for 80 to win by 79 runs.

Essex's side included Mark Waugh, Nasser Hussain, Nick Knight and Derek Pringle, while the Hampshire batting line-up included David Gower, Mark Nicholas, the late Malcolm Marshall and BBC Radio Solent's Kevan James.

Hampshire head coach Craig White told BBC Radio Solent:

"I am a bit shocked, a bit stunned at the moment. We dominated for most of the game but for two or three hours they were on top and made us pay.

"The partnership this morning from Foster and Wagner took the wind out of our sails. We were hoping to chase a few less maybe around 120-130 and it could have been a difference.

"But that would have been tough the way they bowled. They showed why they are where they are. Some of those deliveries were pretty much unplayable.

"We have to dust ourselves down and try and get a positive result at Birmingham. Everyone has to have a good look at themselves in the mirror and find out why we keep losing clumps of wickets. It needs addressing."

Essex fast bowler Sam Cook:

"It is an unbelievable feeling. A day I won't forget about after we won the game from a position when we looked out of it. It just shows how amazing the fight has been all season

"Winning after following on doesn't happen every day. We were under the pump a bit following on after getting rolled out in difficult circumstances.

"We have had an amazing season as a team but it keeps getting better and better. It is an amazing environment to thrive in with everyone so happy after winning the Championship.

"Chris Silverwood talked about the 1992 follow-on win against Hampshire in the dressing room a few days ago when we were a few wickets down and looking down in the dumps. He said 'It happened 25 years ago. Why can't it happen again?'It just sums up our season as a whole that history has repeated itself."