County Championship: Keith Barker's 49 not out sees Hampshire stretch lead over Warwickshire

Keith Barker followed up his figures of 5-43 with his second-innings 49 not out

Warwickshire old boy Keith Barker held up his former county's hopes of setting up a run chase as he played a vital innings for Hampshire.

Barker's unbeaten 49 off 124 balls helped Hampshire close their second innings on 260-8, a lead of 233.

After 20 wickets fell on an eventful first day, the second was a more even affair as the visitors resumed on 41-0.

Barker and Brad Wheal (20 not out) added 52 for the ninth wicket to push Hampshire's lead beyond 200.

Left-hander Barker has now registered the highest individual score of the match after Hampshire made just 89 in their first innings and Warwickshire battled to 116 in reply.

Hampshire's tail wagged in the evening session after they had been reduced to 173-7 shortly before tea and then 208-8 when Felix Organ (16) was trapped lbw by Liam Norwell.

Norwell (4-64) had earlier removed openers Joe Weatherley (24) and Ian Holland (44) before lunch as well as trapping Liam Dawson (3) leg-before at 156-5.

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When Hampshire skipper James Vince (48) was caught on the deep square leg boundary trying to pull a short ball from Craig Miles, Warwickshire appeared in command as James Fuller also fell four balls later for a duck to leave them seven down.

But Organ and Barker came together first to add 35 before Wheal showed fight to see them through without further loss at stumps with the pair having already been together at the crease for more than 20 overs.

Warwickshire began this second divisional round top of Division One with a five-point lead over Lancashire with Hampshire in fifth.

Warwickshire fast bowler Liam Norwell told BBC Radio WM:

"It was the complete opposite to Sunday. The boys stuck at it really well. Even with the second new ball there wasn't a huge amount going on with the wicket so to keep them to two and a half an over all day was a great effort. Craig Miles and Danny Briggs were outstanding.

"The 20 wickets falling on Sunday owed a lot to bad batting. There were some averages dismissals on both sides, so when our turn comes to bat again we have just got to look to bat long. The longer you bat the easier it will get."

Hampshire head coach Adi Birrell told BBC Radio Solent:

"We fought hard. We got ourselves back in the game yesterday with some superb bowling from Abbas and Barker, when we knew we had to take wickets, and then we knew we had to respond with the bat in the third innings.

"The wicket has calmed down a little bit but we have had to work over hard the whole day, it wasn't easy.

"We kept losing wickets all along but we put together some valuable partnerships. The guys up top gave us a base and then James Vince and Felix Organ batted really well and Barker and Wheal dug in well in the last hour."