County Championship: James Anderson helps Lancashire dismiss Hampshire for 246

James Anderson's opening stint returned 2-6, with four maidens

James Anderson celebrated the news that his international exile is set to end by helping Lancashire bowl Hampshire out for 246 in the County Championship.

Anderson, who was left out of England's tour to the West Indies, was given the green light to return to the Test side on Thursday by new captain Ben Stokes and new managing director Rob Key.

At the Ageas Bowl, he produced a flawless new-ball spell on his way to 3-24.

Pakistan fast bowler Hassan Ali continued his excellent start at Lancashire with 5-45, with Nick Gubbins' 101 not out saving Hampshire after they had slumped to 40-5.

Lancashire reached the close 37-1, 209 runs in arrears.

On the day Stokes was announced as England's new Test captain, Anderson produced a showreel of his best attributes. Inviting him to bowl first on a green-tinged pitch under silvery skies, Hampshire predictably lost their top order cheaply.

Anderson was at his controlling best in a first six-over spell which found brisk nibble in both directions, after Tom Bailey had dismissed Joe Weatherley with an in-out set-up.

Ian Holland pushed forward on one which held its fifth-stump line, while James Vince was bereft by a sharp in-ducker which took his outside edge.

Ali, on the back of a nine-wicket bag against Gloucestershire, maintained and built on Anderson's pressure. He slightly squared up Liam Dawson with one that angled away off the seam before a leg-side delivery found its way to third slip via Ben Brown's outside edge four balls later.

Hampshire needed a partnership. They got one through the pugnaciousness of Gubbins and Felix Organ - who put on 92 either side of lunch.

Gubbins spent a portion of his winter playing in Zimbabwe's Logan Cup - scoring a century in two matches - and had begun his Championship season with a handful of starts and a 69 last week versus Kent.

He was forced to temper his usual style to churn to 50 in 133 balls.

Anderson returned to direct some short balls at Organ, who - having negotiated a series of bumpers - tamely lobbed a top edge to leg slip for 42, before Keith Barker looped a leading-edge off Ali.

James Fuller raised the tempo with his big-hitting and bottom-hand favoured shot-making. He was 37 off 19 balls at one point, before slowing slightly to a 49-ball fifty, sharing an 83-run stand with Gubbins.

Gubbins reached his second century for Hampshire since arriving last summer, and the 12th of his first-class career, in 210 balls.

But with Fuller bowled by Luke Wells, Ali mopped up the tail ruthlessly to move to 19 scalps so far this season.

Wells and George Balderson had fewer issues against the new ball, although the former tickled Barker behind late in the day.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.