CLOSE (Day 2): Hampshire 411, Durham 242-7 

HAMPSHIRE are on course for their first maximum points haul in the County Championship's top flight for six years - knowing nothing less than a win against Durham will do.

Brad Wheal took 3-23, including the scalp of Ben Stokes, as Hampshire restricted Durham to 242-7 after being bowled out for 411 in their final match of the season, writes Simon Walter. 

But Hampshire were frustrated by an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 56 between Brydon Carse (30) and Michael Richardson (50) after an excellent spell from Wheal (4-2-2-2) midway through the final session of day two.

A draw, even with maximum bonus points, will probably not be enough to keep Hampshire in the top flight as nearest rivals Warwickshire responded to being bowled out for 219 by Lancashire by skittling their fellow strugglers for 152 at Edgbaston.

Should Warwickshire go on to win that game - and with the weather forecast in Birmingham as good as it is down here they should do - only a win will keep Hampshire in the first division.

But Hampshire are seizing the moment.

After beginning day two on 370-6, they secured maximum batting points for the first time this season before Graham Onions  completed an impressive spell (6-3-16-3) that included three wickets in ten balls.

They soon celebrated the scalp of Keaton Jennings (1), the Championship's top run scorer, who was lbw after leaving Gareth Berg's first delivery.

Then Scott Borthwick (15) top edged a square cut against Wheal's first ball.

Encouragingly, Liam Dawson extracted significant turn on a sandy, spin-friendly wicket, after reaching fifty for the fourth time in six innings at the start of the day. 

Mark Stoneman drove the slow left-armer to Jimmy Adams at mid-wicket shortly after lunch and, towards the end of the session, Dawson broke a frustrating fourth-wicket stand of 87 in 24 overs between Stokes and Graham Clark (58), when the latter was caught at the wicket. 

Only when umpire Nick Cook raised his finger did Clark leave the field, but Durham captain Paul Collingwood (0) needed no confirmation when he nicked Mason Crane to Lewis McManus at the end of the next over.

Crane improved as the day went on and was always a threat while bowling 23 overs at little more than three an over. 

Midway through the final session, fellow teenager Wheal took two wickets in successive overs – including the scalp of Stokes - from the Pavilion End.

Shortly after reaching a 106-ball fifty, Stokes pulled Wheal straight to Ryan McLaren at deep mid-wicket.

Stokes' dismissal secured Hampshire the second of the three available bowling points. 

Then Wheal accounted for Ryan Pringle, who could only work a short ball to Adams at leg gully.

Hampshire were frustrated by the eighth-wicket pair during the last 25 overs.
But with five batting points secured for the first time since last September, as well as two bowling points, Hampshire have closed the gap on the sides immediately above them.

They only need two more wickets in the first 29 overs of day three to have all eight bonus points for the first time in more than two years (and for the first time in division one since August 2010).

But the main objective is getting the extra 16 points for a win that would take them above Warwickshire or Lancashire.

And with two days left to extend their lead and take 13 Durham wickets, time is on their side.

Durham bowling: Rushworth 13-2-33-0, Onions 17-2-41-3, Pringle 31-0-153-3, Carse 9-1-35-1, Stokes 13-2-47-0, Borthwick 24.1-2-81-2, Stoneman 2-1-9-0.

Hampshire bowling: McLaren 5-0-17-0, Berg 10-3-26-1, Wheal 11-3-24-3, Dawson 21-3-60-2, Smith 13-4-32-0, Crane 23-3-75-1